


When it Rains, it Rains Bullets

by kaijoskopycat



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Mr. & Mrs. Smith Fusion, Anal Sex, Asphyxiation, Assassins, Biting, Character Death, Domestic, Domestic Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, Guns, Knives, Married Couple, Rimming, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Rutting, Sexual Tension, Violence, implied past HaiKise, v things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-03-07 12:52:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 76,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaijoskopycat/pseuds/kaijoskopycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kise and Aomine have been happily married for the past five years. They live in a beautiful home, had well-paying jobs and the picture perfect life... on the outside. Behind the scenes, Aomine and Kise are also highly-paid, trained assassins working for rival companies. When they find out their next target is none other than their dearly beloved their marriage takes on a challenge that's much more deadly than a mere disagreement over what to have for dinner. </p><p>An Aokise Mr. and Mrs. Smith AU.</p><p>Link to <a href="http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/">dvl's</a> and <a href="http://4nimenut.tumblr.com/">Shao's</a> art to accompany the fic in appropriate chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We're Still Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine and Kise have been together for four years (or was it five?) and they want to make some changes. They just don't know how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the teaser chapter beginning to a Mr. and Mrs. Smith AU request. I apologize for the lack of length, but I promise the following the chapters will be considerably longer in comparison. ^^
> 
> -V

"We've been married for about four years."

"Five years, Daiki."

"Right. Five years, or so. It's not like we have any problems."

"But maybe that's the real problem; the fact that we don't have any."

"Yeah, something like that. I mean, if I had to answer some bullshit question about whether or not I'm happy I wouldn't say I was _unhappy_."

"Because we _aren't_ unhappy. Daiki and I are very happy. We have a beautiful home. Our jobs pay us well, treat us well. We rarely ever disagree and if we do it's quickly resolved."

"So we're happy."

"Yeah, we're happy."

"This is just like getting a touch up. Like when your roof begins to leak and you have to replace the shingles to stop that shit from happening."

"Yes... something like that."

"It's not like Ryouta and I don't love each other."

"We just don't have that spark anymore."

"It's there. It's just really fucking weak."

"Very weak. You don't have to add in the profanity to get your point across."

"Right."

"So you see, Daiki and I are happy. We just need someone to help us rekindle the spark."

"Someone... or something. Or some major event."

"I think we just need _something_ to light a fire in us."


	2. Knife Wielding: A Love Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine can never forget the day he met Kise Ryouta. After all, Kise changed his life in more ways than he can count.
> 
> Art by [dvl](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/) to accompany the fic [here](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/post/114682238711/sachi-sachi-i-got-this-visualization-when-i-read)

Aomine can still remember when they first met.

Akashi was throwing a party and, for some strange reason, Aomine was never able to refuse an invitation from him. It wasn't necessarily his kind of party. It involved suits and ties and looking more presentable than he wanted to put the effort into, but he showed up in a smooth, black tuxedo anyway. He'd even run a comb through his hair, slicking it back with some of that disgusting hair goop Satsuki had bought him for a school dance too many years ago.

He had expected Akashi to answer the door when he arrived, instead he got Kise Ryouta.

One glance inside the house afforded him the chance to see that everyone, every man, was dressed in traditional black, but Kise stuck out like a sore thumb. He wore a white suit with a golden button-up underneath that brought out the shimmering distraction of his eyes. When he smiled it felt like the world was caught in a endless photo flash and Aomine almost felt like putting on a pair of sunglasses. It would have been justified. Then again, he'd always been described as a night owl, adjusting well to the dark. It was impossible for the moon not to be dazzled by the sun.

The familiar way Kise called out to Akashi ("Akashicchi!") still surprised Aomine even now. Akashi was never one for nicknames, especially ones as ridiculous as Kise's, yet he came when summoned and didn't bat an eye at the addition to his name.

"Daiki," he had greeted with a nod of his head that Aomine immediately returned. "I see you've met Ryouta." He placed a slender hand on Kise's shoulder and offered a faint smile, barely more than a twitch of his lips. "Unfortunately for you, other guests do take precedence. I trust you understand. Ryouta has been here several times before so I will leave you in his more than capable hands." He left with a dismissive wave of his hand, disappearing into the growing crowd.

Kise had taken no time in breaking the ice. In fact, he was the type of guy to dive right in, ice be damned. And Aomine loved that about him.

Nothing was awkward when he was with Kise. No conversation died because if he couldn't think of anything to say then Kise would fill the silence on his own. He learned about Kise's modeling career and realized he had seen that pretty face on more than a few billboards. Of course, he'd glazed over them in favor of the ones with the big-breasted models, but he forgave himself that slight because he didn't know Kise then. Besides, he was even more pretty in person.

Aomine danced that night. He never danced at parties. But when Kise's voice rose in a whine Aomine was certain he'd never heard come from a man before and he jutted his lower lip forward in a pouty expression that should not have been allowed to make him even more attractive, he found it hard to say no.

They danced. They laughed. They talked all night and when the partygoers began to disperse, Aomine dragged Kise out to the garden and kissed him like he could breathe in the warmth of the sun through his lips.

He still didn't believe he was interested in men, but he was definitely interested in Kise. It only took a few months of basketball games, movie dates, dinners, and countless nights in each other's arms for him to know he'd found the one.

~~~

"Seriously? You've only known the guy for a few months."

"You don't get it, Bakagami." Aomine took aim at took down three bottles without missing a single shot. The shooting range was a sanctuary for him and Kagami got dragged along almost every time to keep him company. "He's not like anyone I've ever met before. He's different."

Kagami rolled his eyes behind Aomine's back. "That's what they all say.'

Aomine glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed into a glare. "A lot of people say it and don't mean it." He took another shot without even looking and sliced a can in half from the force of the blow.

"I don't even know why we come here," Kagami grumbled. "S'not like you need the practice."

"That's besides the point." Aomine placed his firearm on the table and turned to fully face his friend. "You aren't even listening to me, asshole."

'I am!" Kagami protested, throwing his arms up in the air. "It's just––"

"You aren't." Aomine ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I've never been interested in a guy before, have I?"

Kagami sighed and shook his head.

"I love boobs," Aomine admitted with a shrug and a half smile. "I really like boobs. But I fucking love him. He's like everything I would want in a woman, only he's a man instead. He's so pretty it should be illegal. He's funny and overdramatic. But he's got this hard side to him that's so goddamn sexy. He's stubborn, which can be annoying, but it's also good to be kind of thick-headed when you're dealing with me." He ignored the snort that came from Kagami and continued, "And he plays basketball, Bakagami. _Basketball_ He plays pretty damn good too. He's a model, so sometimes his schedule gets busy, but it's perfect because he doesn't complain about my busy schedule with practices and games. It just works." Aomine paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "He can wield a knife like a goddamn pro too."

~~~

Every summer Aomine attended a festival in Tokyo. He could never remember what the occasion was, but he was never one to pass up the chance to eat an overabundance of fried foods and to watch the women prance around in their yukatas, the necks cut low enough to reveal a generous amount of cleavage. He'd always been one to appreciate the little things that only the festival could bring.

When he started dating Kise, he found he had a new reason to love the festival garb. If anyone could wear a yukata, it was Kise Ryouta. It was almost as though he knew what the sight would do to Aomine and he took advantage of this knowledge by loosening the tie around his waist to allow the front to drape open more than it should have. Normally Aomine's eyes would have been drawn to open necks of the women's outfits, but that night it was drawn to Kise's bare chest, the way the sweat glistened on his skin like diamonds reflecting the colorful festival lights.

It had taken everything in Aomine's power not to pounce on him the moment he got to his door. They still had the festival to attend, something Kise had been chattering about for the past week, and he knew that if the yukatas came off they'd never make it there. In the interest of pleasing his new lover, he kept his hands to himself throughout the evening until they returned to his apartment.

The fried food hadn't interested Kise as much as it did Aomine, but the various game booths set up continued to catch his attention all night. Aomine won him a stuffed animal at a shooting game, showing off his well-honed skills after Kise's poor attempt at shooting down three of the wooden duck panels. Kise appeared satisfied until they came across a knife throwing game. Wooden walls were set up on either side to create a slender hallway with a target at the end. There weren't many notches on the target, leading Aomine to believe that not many people had tried, or no one had the arm and the precision to make it that far.

Kise was intrigued the moment it caught his eye and Aomine always had trouble saying no to those big, golden eyes and that ceaseless enthusiasm. He forked up the money to play a few rounds and let Kise toss a couple knives, missing the target by centimeters.

He smirked and stepped up behind Kise, slipping an arm around his waist and brushing his lips against his ear to whisper, "Let me show you how it's done, baby."

Kise chuckled and relaxed in his grip. Aomine guided him through the motion, pressing a hand against his hips to angle his body toward the target. "Relax," He breathed. "Keep your grip on the knife loose so you can have an easier time with the release. Too tight and the knife won't fly smoothly."

When Kise nodded his head, Aomine took a step back and watched as all the tension left Kise's body. His shoulders slumped and he bent his knees a fraction to keep his stance loose and relaxed. Aomine could see the way the knife dangled in his right hand, held by three fingers instead tightly gripped in his fist as it had been only moments before.

Did I tell him to hold it with three fingers?

Most people who knew enough about wielding a knife as a long range weapon could tell you that holding it with three fingers was best for a precise release. He didn't remember sharing that information, but he had been quite preoccupied with the way Kise's body fit against his own. He was just about to step forward to comment on the observation when Kise's muscles tensed. His body turned a fraction of an inch into the throw as his arm came up over his head. He didn't swing forward like he was throwing a baseball, as Aomine had expected he would. He flicked his wrist in a way that made the knife circle perfectly through the air and cut straight into the center of the target.

His jaw dropped and he stepped forward to get a better look at the damage done. The knife stuck out of the target at a perfect 90 degree angle. It went almost as deep as the hilt and even the man running the booth was impressed. He offered Kise two prizes, but Kise declined the second and told the man to give one to the next child that passed by.

Aomine stepped forward and slung his arm over Kise's shoulder. "Fuck, Ryouta," he breathed, tilting his head to the side to press a kiss against the side of Kise's forehead. "That was pretty damn hot. How did you do that anyway? I mean, right in the center too."

Kise shrugged against him and smiled that thousand-watt, dazzling smile of his. "Beginner's luck."

~~~

Kagami leaned back in his chair and shook his head again. "Who gives a damn if he can throw a knife?" He grimaced when Aomine leveled a glare in his direction once again. "Alright, alright. I get it. You said it works. But..." He paused and lowered his voice. "What about the sex? Do you even have any? I mean, I know you, _Aho_ mine. You always said you weren't into men and you like sex way too much not to have it. So?"

Aomine smirked. "Amazing. Fucking amazing." He sighed and let his gaze drift upward, watching a flock of geese fly overhead. "Maybe it seems too fast to you because you aren't a part of it. You don't understand. It's not just about the sex either. He knows me better than I know myself. It's like he knows every secret and doesn't give a damn about how bad they are."

"But marriage?" Kagami's continued skepticism came as no surprise. "You never seemed the type to––"

"I never had a reason to want it." Aomine shrugged and a wistful grin spread across his lips. "But when you know you just know. I'm allowed to change my mind. Besides, no one is gonna make this decision but me and I've already made up my mind."

~~~

Standing at the altar felt right, no matter how many times in the past he had claimed he would never be there. Kise wore another stunning white tuxedo, but this time he added a splash of color; a splash of blue. Aomine grinned. It felt like his color, like Kise was walking down the aisle proclaiming who he belonged to before it was official.

It all felt so right that Aomine convinced himself that nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, Kise was the spark that lit a fire in him. Nothing could possibly put out that flame.


	3. Prize Winning Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise felt like no one would ever be able to relieve his boredom. Then Aomine Daiki came along, took a shot, and won himself one hell of a prize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have to fall in love somehow. Why not start with guns and knives, right? Hahaha
> 
> -V

Kise remembered the day he met Aomine because it was the first time someone piqued his interest enough to forget his never-ending ride through a tunnel of boredom.

Akashi had invited Kise to––or rather, demanded that he attend––a party at his home. Kise had not wanted to attend, but he wasn't about to tell Akashi that. The man could be scary if he didn't get his way, and not in the tantrum-throwing, spoiled child kind of way. He had a strange love of scissors that bordered on unnatural and enjoyed finding all the different ways they could be utilized. Kise wasn't about to take part in those findings. 

So he dressed in his best, knowing that the white suit jacket and the golden shirt would have him shining like a beacon in a sea of black. But he looked good in it and he loved the way the shirt brought out his eyes. 

Being the center of attention was commonplace for Kise and, despite what everyone thought of him, he hated to see all the eyes turn in his direction when he walked in a room. No one looked at him because of who he was, only what he looked like. He was sick of being just a pretty face. 

As more people arrived, he flitted around the room, introducing himself, forcing himself to interact. Akashi eventually pulled him to the side and whispered, "That friendly facade is dangerously close to cracking, Ryouta."

"Eeeh? I don't know what you're talking about, Akashicchi. I'm being nice to everyone and genuine and––" 

"If you so much as utter one rude comment to my guests I will have you removed in a public display of my personal security so everyone can watch the famous model Kise Ryouta being thrown into the street. What will that do for your reputation, hm?"

Kise grimaced. He couldn't deny the fact that his smile was getting tighter, that the vein at his temple was probably becoming more prominent as the evening progressed. If he heard one more comment about his looks or how talented everyone thought he was he might consider leaving in favor of retorting with the very comments Akashi was accusing him of readying. 

Then he answered the door to find Aomine Daiki and the party took a turn for the better. 

Kise never thought of himself as being attracted to one gender in particular. Granted, he did love the supple curves and soft skin of women. However, Aomine Daiki was such an impressive specimen that Kise couldn't find any justification to deny the instant attraction. 

He was going to write him off as another attractive face, as everyone did to him, but then Aomine spoke. He had a deep, deep voice and a drawl that crept up Kise's spine and made his skin tingle. Aomine didn't bother trying to censor himself and when Akashi left them alone, he said, "Why the hell are you wearing white? You some sort of virgin sacrifice or something?"

Kise grinned and shook his head. "That's information for me to know and... " He paused and ran his fingers through his hair, knowing it would fall over his eyes and add smolder to his attempted seduction. "For you to find out." 

They spent the entire evening together and Kise's smile softened, he relaxed and completely forgot that he was surrounded by people who didn't care less about who he really was. Aomine seemed to care and Aomine was more intriguing than every other man and woman in the room combined. 

When they kissed, Kise could feel the bubble that formed around them. It was like no one else existed. Aomine stole him away to a world where he meant something more, where he could truly let go. 

Kise knew from day one that Aomine was the one. The dates were merely a formality. He just needed to wait for the question he already had an answer to.

~~~

"Kise-kun, are you sure about this?"

Kise adjusted the potential new purchase in the mirror, smoothing his fingers across the short rim of the driving cap. He pulled his focus away from the way the hat looked on his head and glanced over his shoulder at Kuroko's reflection in the mirror. "About him?" Kise's lips twitched into a smile; the one that spread across his face every time he thought about Aomine. "Of course I'm sure about this. I don't make big decisions out of the blue, Kurokocchi."

Kuroko nodded. "You always make decisions out of the blue, Kise-kun."

"Mooooh, Kurokocchi, that's not true!" Kise spun around and placed a hand on his hip. "Does this hat make my head look big? I like it with this outfit, but I don't know if it looks okay on me."

"I don't like the hat." 

Kise frowned. "Kurokocchi, you're never any help when we go shopping. You're supposed to tell me what looks good on me and what doesn't."

"Are you sure you've known him long enough?"

"Eh? Why are you changing the subject?"

"Look, Kise-kun," Kuroko began, taking a step forward to reach up and pull the hat off. "I don't like this hat." He tossed the hat to the side. "But I know you, and you're trying to avoid the subject because you don't want me to try and talk you out of it."

Kise sighed and shook his head. Kuroko was observant as always. 

"I won't try to do that. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

"I do know." Kise leaned his back against the dressing room wall. "You don't understand, Kurokocchi. He is everything I wanted in my life and more, if possible. He's so good-looking and you know I'm a stickler for looks." He chuckled, earning himself a roll of the eyes from Kuroko. "But it's not just the looks. Or the sex. My god, the sex is so fantastic. I can barely walk after he––"

"Kise-kun!"

Kise laughed and waved his hand at Kuroko. "Sorry, sorry!."

Kuroko scowled. "Talk about anything but that, please."

"Right, right." Kise ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "It's really not just that though. He's a basketball player, Kurokocchi. You know how much I love basketball. And he's _so good_ too, but he lets me play against him all the time and tries to push me to be better than I am, in everything, really. I just––he knows me inside and out. It's like he's read every page of my book and wants to re-read it over and over again." He cast a sideways glance at Kuroko as his lips twitched into a smirk. "And you should see the way he uses a gun." 

~~~

When Aomine invited him to the festival Kise had been overjoyed, not just because of the festival itself. He would get to wear one of his flashy yukatas and, even better, get to see Aomine wearing one too. There was something so inherently sexy about a yukata and the thought of Aomine wearing one (and later removing it) had Kise bouncing off the walls with excitement. Of course, Aomine didn't disappoint. Judging from the look on Aomine's face when Kise got to his door, neither did Kise. 

As soon as they arrived at the festival, Aomine made a beeline for the nearest fried food stand. While Kise couldn't deny the joy of eating such sinful treats, he had to admit that it wasn't high on his priority list. There were rides, and games and general merriment that didn't involve the fatty foods that Aomine seemed to enjoy so much. It took some convincing, and more than a pout or two, but eventually he got Aomine onto the ferris wheel and convinced him to play a few games with him. 

It wasn't until they came across a shooting game that Aomine really perked up and Kise couldn't deny the fact that he might have fantasized about Aomine wielding a firearm at some point in time. He gave up trying to beg Aomine to catch fish with him and dragged him over to the game. The objective was to shoot down three of the moving duck targets to win a prize. Aomine paid for a few rounds, convinced that Kise needed the practice. Kise missed the first few shots and pouted and huffed until Aomine stepped up behind him and pressed his lips against his ear. 

"Use your cheek as an anchor, babe." He pressed the butt of the gun up against Kise's cheek. "Let it be your sight guide so you get a better shot at your target."

When Aomine stepped way, Kise sighed. He shifted the gun in his grip and, when he saw that Aomine was momentarily distracted, he took two shots, blowing apart two of the small ducks in a row. Aomine turned back with a grin and said, "Damn, I missed that. Hit the next one."

Kise intentionally missed the next and handed the gun to Aomine, demanding that he wanted the stuffed panther hanging from the ceiling of the game booth. 

Aomine snorted and hefted the gun onto his shoulder. "Haven't played one of these games in forever, so I might be rusty." Kise watched as he pressed the gun against his cheek and took aim. They way he held the gun, as though it was a part of him, led Kise to believe he wasn't all that rusty at all. Aomine's eyes darkened and his eyes focused solely on the target. Three quick shots and three targets went down. 

Kise was left speechless, staring at the empty spaces where the ducks had previously been only seconds before. "Aominecchi... how the hell––"

Aomine shrugged and took the offered prize with a satisfied grin. "Beginner's luck."

~~~

"Kise-kun, I could care less about how he uses a gun. That should be more of a negative than a positive."

Kise chuckled and shook his head. "You just don't understand, Kurokocchi." He glanced at the hat in the bin and gestured for Kuroko to follow him out of the dressing room. "He wouldn't like that hat either, so I'll leave it."

Kuroko's lips twitched as he caught up. "Kise-kun, are you happy?"

Kise turned to Kuroko, a hint of pink coloring his cheeks. He smiled. "Yeah, I'm happy."

Kuroko nodded. "Then I guess that's good enough for me."

~~~

Kuroko was, of course, Kise's best man. He didn't quite approve of Aomine after their first meeting, but he eventually he grew on him. Relief didn't begin to describe how Kise felt when Kuroko finally accepted Aomine. It was the blessing he was looking for.

When Aomine whispered, "I do." Kise felt the world crumble and rebuild itself seconds later. It was a world he intended to make the most of with Aomine and no one, _nothing_ would get in their way.


	4. Clean Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine has a routine just like everyone else except sometimes his involves a few gun shots and a body bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gettin' the ball rolling. Or rather, the gun firing. 
> 
> -V

Aomine's alarm went off an hour after Kise's every morning. He used to get up at the same time, sometimes earlier, just to see the way Kise's hair stuck up at odd angles and to watch him blink the sleep from his eyes. It was a side of Kise only he was allowed to see and, while the sight had never quite lost its appeal, Aomine had certainly lost his enthusiasm. Waking up was as bad as having to eat his brussels sprouts during dinner and he'd rather shove them off the plate than make the attempt to stomach them. Likewise, he'd rather spend an extra hour, or two, in bed instead of bothering with the mornings. 

Every morning at ten, if he wasn't out of bed, Kise would send him a text telling him he'd wasted his entire morning and that he'd be fired if he didn't get his ass up and at least make it to half of practice. Aomine grumbled and groaned every time he read the text and sent Kise back a response telling him to mind his own damn business, but he never failed to get out of bed then. 

Kise always left him breakfast in the morning with a note saying, "Made your favorite. It's easy to heat up too. See you for dinner, babe." Sometimes Aomine would throw the food out and leave a note in response that said, "Breakfast was great. Thanks, baby." Kise's cooking skills had gradually improved, but sometimes Aomine second guessed what Kise made and opted out of potentially obliterating his digestive system. 

Sometimes he would actually show up for practice. On those days the team would have to find a way to accommodate his lack of knowledge on the new drills they ran when he was away, but he always found a way to catch up. Basketball had always been as second nature to him as his real job. 

~~~

That morning he let Kise's alarm wake him up. He noted the confusion on Kise's face, but brushed past him, stripping his clothing off as he went. "Gonna hop in the shower before you." He ignored Kise's grumble of protest and turned the water on before he could say anything more.

When he got out, Kise stood by the mirror in a state of half-undress. He glanced at Aomine and nodded toward the shower, taking Aomine's silence as acknowledgement that he was finished. Aomine watched him strip off the boxers and eyed his ass as he passed by. Despite the fact that his hands hadn't been on it for months, he still knew that it belonged to him and he was allowed to look all he wanted. 

He waited until he heard the shower water start and Kise's voice rise above the downpour before he disappeared into their closet to throw an outfit together. The walk in closet afforded him no lack of choices. Kise even organized all their clothing by color and type. If he needed dress shoes, they were in the back left corner. If he needed gym shorts, they were neatly folded just to the right of the door. He pulled out a pair of black dress slacks and a navy blue dress shirt, debating on the tie for only a moment before he tossed it aside. He could almost hear Kise's gripe about how he never put things back where they belonged. 

Moving back into the bathroom, he stood in front of the large mirror that covered the wall behind the double sinks. The hair gel he used to slick the growing strands away from his face had a hint of lavender scent to it. Kise must have been the one to buy it. He washed the gel off his hands and worked on the rest of his clothes. He had half of the shirt buttons done up when Kise came out of the shower.

"You clean up nicely," Kise commented, his lips twitching into a smirk as he ran a towel through his dripping hair.

"Mmm. So do you," Aomine grunted in response. "Got some press event this morning then practice and more practice. Might be home late."

Kise slung the towel around his waist and stood beside Aomine, appraising his face in the mirror as he reached for some product Aomine couldn't even begin to name. "I'll make dinner for eight then."

"I said I'd be home late, Ryouta."

"And I said dinner is at eight, Daiki."

Aomine sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

He left the top button undone, catching Kise's disapproving look in the mirror before he left the room. His gym bag had been shoved under the bed and when he tugged it out he heard the contents shift and loudly clack together. He froze and glanced over his shoulder, but there was no sign of Kise. He released a slow breath and hefted the bag onto his shoulder. 

"Leaving now, babe."

Kise finally appeared and beckoned Aomine forward. Aomine closed the few steps between them and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips.

Kise smiled and said, "Remember, dinner is––"

"At eight. Got it."

"See you later, Daiki."

"Later, Ryouta."

~~~

Aomine's choice car was the black Audi r8 Spyder that sat comfortably in their garage beside Kise's white Aston Martin db9. They had expensive taste in cars and more than enough money to spend on them. It was one of the few things they enjoyed showing off when they went to the neighborhood parties. They didn't have children and got some sense of amusement when they heard the other men comment about how they'd have those cars if they didn't have their mini vans and SUVs. 

He pulled the keys off the hook by the door and headed to the garage. Tadashi, their neighbor, paused on his way to his own car and waved. "Daiki, you're out before Ryouta this morning? That's unusual."

Aomine nodded and tossed his gym bag into the trunk of his car.

"You two are going to be at the Midorima's on Friday, right? Keiko said she spoke to Ryouta and the two of you were on the guest list."

"On Friday? Er––Yeah. Yeah, of course we are," Aomine replied absently. He opened the driver's side door and lifted his hand in a wave. "Gotta get to work." He slipped in and slammed the door before Tadashi could attempt to continue the forced conversation. If he didn't note the party on his calendar he'd forget about it come Friday, but taking out his phone to add it to his empty calendar was more effort than he was willing to put in and he knew that Kise would inform him of the occasion when the time came. 

When the car purred to life, he intentionally revved the engine, slipped on a pair of sunglasses and smirked at Tadashi as he pulled out of the driveway. Inherently a show off, he loved to see the faces of his neighbors as he drove by. If only they knew where he was really headed. His Audi would have no place there, as it attracted too much attention. 

~~~

As he pulled into the garage at his workplace, he saw Imayoshi leaning against a business-looking Buick that made Aomine grimace. He hated the cars that had that fresh-off-the-assembly-line look, the ones that were so generic they were lined up at every skyscraping business he had ever been to. Yet for the sake of his assignment, he had no choice but to hand over his keys and take the ones offered to him.

Imayoshi smirked and held the keys up to the light. "I'm going to have some fun with this." 

"Don't you dare," Aomine growled, as he pulled his gym bag out of his trunk. 

Imayoshi chuckled softly and handed over a manila folder and a briefcase. "The address is in there and all the pictures as well. Match the names and the faces, remember them. You're name, while you're there, is Hiroshi Danzo. You work for one of their partners and you're there to meet with Kirishima Hayato to pitch the newest proposal from your company."

"Got it." Aomine pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the car. He was just about to sling his gym bag into the passenger seat when Imayoshi pressed a hand against the door. 

"One more thing, Aomine." He spun the keys around his forefinger and watched the momentum until he glanced at Aomine over the top of his glasses. "Don't make a mess."

Aomine's lips twitched and he snorted. "I'll see what I can do." By that he meant he couldn't make any promises. He wasn't known for his subtlety. "Now get your damn hand off the car. Don't make me late."

Imayoshi's lips spread into a smirk and he stepped back. "Because you're so punctual every other day."

Aomine grinned as he slid into the driver's seat. "Still get the job done, don't I?." He started the car and grabbed the handle to pull it shut. "Besides, the only one better at this job than me...." He slammed the door and pulled out of the garage. "...is me."

~~~

It was never hard to charm his way into a building. The woman at the desk smiled at him, leaned forward to offer a view of her generous cleavage, laughed and slapped his arm when he commented on said view, and even had the gall to reach forward and run her fingers down the buttons of his dress shirt until she heard the elevator ding and fell back into her seat. Hayato, her boss, came waltzing into the lobby, all tight smiles and strong hand extended for a handshake.

"Hiroshi-san," Hayato greeted, gripping Aomine's hand with more force than necessary. Aomine took the hint and squeezed just as hard, earning him a raised brow in response. 

"Kirishima-san, I presume. My boss has told me a lot about you." He released Hayato's hand and raised the briefcase he was holding to eye level. "He sent me with some papers and a bit of a proposal."

Hayato's lips twitched. "How unusual. He didn't mention anything about a proposal to my secretary, or myself." He leaned around Aomine to glance at the woman who had been flirting so adamantly only moments before. "Aki, have you received any phone calls from Hachidori-san concerning any proposals, or meetings, perhaps?"

Aki scrambled for papers on her desk before responding with a brief shake of her head. 

"I didn't think so." Hayato took a step back and lifted a hand as if to wave Aomine away. "My boy, you look like you mean well. And I'm sure the proposal will be captivating, but unless I'm aware of it beforehand I have no intention of listening to––"

Aomine leaned forward, lowering his voice to keep the secretary from hearing. "You see, its one of those proposals that benefits us both; one that can only be said in private quarters away from wandering eyes and ears, you understand?" He gave the briefcase a shake. "Hachidori-san told me you would be interested, especially considering your sizable share of the profits, but if you'd rather not hear the proposal," Aomine shrugged and took a step back. "I'll be taking my leave then." He turned and winked at Aki who blushed profusely in response.

"Ah, wait, wait." Hayato stepped forward and grabbed Aomine's shoulder. "Perhaps I was getting ahead of myself, Hiroshi-san." He eyed the briefcase with more than a little hunger and released his hold. "My office is free for the next half an hour. If you can finish the proposal in that time frame I would be happy to listen to it."

Aomine couldn't hold back the smirk. "I thought you'd be interested." He clapped the man on the shoulder and nodded. "And half an hour is more than enough time for me to finish my job."

Hayato glanced at Aki and waved his hand dismissively in the air. "All phone calls are not to be directed to my office. For the time being, I am not here." He gestured toward the elevators and bowed his head. "Shall we?"

~~~

Aomine had Hayato's arm pinned behind his back, his face pressed firmly against wall. "So you see," He gave a sharp tug on the arm and earned a whimper in response. "My proposal ends with your death and the company you took down years ago for your own selfish amusement––not to mention the fact that it was deliberate corporate sabotage and the undercover murder of a well-known CEO and all associates you deemed as potential threats to your corporate takedown––will be reimbursed. The rest of them might even get the chance to rebuild what they spent their lives working at. Doesn't that sound great?"

Hayato made a weak attempt to pull himself away, but Aomine slammed the butt of his gun into the man's ribs. He went down with a heavy thud and Aomine released him. It took a few moments of whimpering and quiet sobs as Hayato clutched his arm against his chest for him to finally roll over and meet Aomine's predatory gaze. "I did what I had to do to move up," Hayato rasped, face tight and red with pain. 

Aomine shook his head lifted his gun from his side. His arm didn't shake as he stared down the barrel at the man. His forefinger brushed the trigger, feeling it loosen beneath the slight pressure. "Wrong answer."

He fired three shots; one in the man's chest, one his throat and one in his head for good measure. Imayoshi hated this tactic. It left a bigger mess than necessary, but Aomine never changed his routine. A part of him continued it out of habit, but it also helped that it annoyed Imayoshi to no end. Anything he could do to keep that man on his toes was high on Aomine's priority list. 

He twisted the silencer off the end of the barrel and pocketed it, holstering his gun in the waist of his pants. The majority of his ammunition and firepower had remained in the car, hidden beneath gym shorts, shoes and a basketball in his gym bag. He ran his forearm along his brow and sighed as he stared at the mess he'd be leaving behind. "Ah well," He shrugged and pulled out his cellphone. Imayoshi was number two on his speed dial. "Job is done. Need a clean up crew."

"Aomine, I remember specifically asking you not to––"

Aomine hung up before Imayoshi could finish his complaint. He hit speed dial one more time. Imayoshi was number two because number one belonged to Kise. "Hey, babe. Looks like I might be able to make it on time for dinner tonight. Practice is ending early. How about we make it at seven?"


	5. Dinner is at Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise is a model, but most models don’t complete their look with a blood splattered face and a knife in their hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance if this is a bit much. I think this chapter turned into one big rambling mess. I swear the next one will make more sense.

It wasn't normal for Aomine to wake before Kise. Usually Kise had to harass him via text message later in the morning just to make sure he didn't spend the entire day tucked in the sheets. So when Aomine bolted out of bed the minute Kise's alarm went off, Kise had his suspicions. 

It wasn't like Aomine to attend a press conference either, much less attend an extended practice. But Kise didn't have time to mull over why his husband was suddenly so adamant about partaking in things he had recently come to detest. He had somewhere to be and Aomine was eating up his time to prepare for it with his early rising. 

Yet when Aomine stepped out of the shower Kise couldn't help but take the time to steal a glance at his body, still glistening from the water and just as appealing as it had been all those years ago. A part of him itched to reach out and touch what was still his, but his could hear a voice in the back of his head warning him against being late. He pulled his hand back only inches from touching Aomine's skin as he passed by before he got into the shower himself.

Kise always sang in the shower. Today it was music from _Les Miserables_. Tomorrow it might be a pop song, or even a ballad. He had a tendency to lean toward musicals and Aomine had long since gotten used to hearing _The Phantom of the Opera_ being belted through their home. He used the song as a timer to opt out of his longer shower routine, and stepped out to find Aomine dressed in clothing Kise had picked out for him. He always did look great in blue.

"You clean up nicely," Kise commented, the hint of a smirk twitching at his lips. 

Aomine responded in kind and disappeared into the bedroom. When they were up together Kise would usually insist that they eat breakfast at the table like a real family, but Aomine appeared to be in a hurry and Kise had no time of his own to spare. When Aomine called him into the bedroom to say goodbye, Kise stepped out of the bathroom and leaned forward for the chaste kiss he knew would come. He waved Aomine off before rummaging through his closet to find the outfit he would need for his job today. 

His phone buzzed as he slipped a jacket over his shoulders and he snagged it from the end table, hitting the answer button. He put the phone on speaker while he gathered the remainder of his effects.

"Meet us on site. I don't have time to brief you at the office." There was a pause and Kise could hear some whispering in the background. "Make sure you're prepared to go in as we planned. We've already set up for you."

"Got it." 

Pocketing the cellphone, he tightened the sleeves around his wrists and patted his hands on the sides of his thighs. With a satisfied nod, he raced down the stairs and out the door, hearing the engine rev as he remote started his favorite car.

~~~

Kise pulled up beside a familiar black Jeep and put his car in park to join the few men that were crowded around the hood. There was a computer balanced on the Jeep and a few other devices that Kise couldn't care less about. There were few that pertained to him and he'd be given what was needed before he entered the building. 

A pair of light gray eyes rose to meet Kise's wandering gaze and they narrowed on sight. "You're late."

"Eh?" Kise pulled out his cellphone and watched the screen light up. "By five minutes, senpai. There was traffic."

"I don't give a shit if there were baby ducks crossing the road. I tell you to be here by 9:30, you get your ass here by 9:30."

Kise grumbled and leaned against the side of the car. "Yeah, yeah. Can you just give me the information I need?"

"Kasamatsu," A dark haired male stepped up beside Kise's senpai and handed him an earpiece. "This is for Kise and," He pulled out another one. "One for yourself to communicate with him."

Kasamatsu tossed Kise the first headset and fixed his own in his ear. "This isn't gonna be brief, Kise. Kosuke isn't home and won't be until later. We've already scoped the place out. Moriyama's re-wired the external security system, so all cameras set outdoors are fed to our computer, not his. We can replace the feed with static images if anyone should decide to glance at the screens. He just finished the internal ones too. Hayakawa and Kobori have already been inside and have set up a perimeter where we believe he'll be headed once he returns home." Kasamatsu tapped away at his keyboard and pulled up a screen of the inside of the large, luxury barn home in the distance. "He stuck with a barn style theme inside which is stupid of him. There are rafters you can easily climb into and keep yourself tucked away until the opportune moment." He ran the mouse over the rafters and down the columns that held them up. "This main hall bends into another large hallway with double doors at the end. As far as we can tell, that's his office."

"You'll go in and observe from the rafters, but keep yourself hidden until the others come in and take out the guards," Kasamatsu explained. "He'll have a few with him and I don't need you expending more energy than necessary, or making more of a mess, when you have to take him out personally."

Kise nodded and tapped his earpiece into his ear. "So when do we go in?"

~~~

Kise's phone buzzed in his back pocket as he hovered in the rafters. He grimaced. The only person who would even consider calling while he was at work was Aomine. If he were actually at a photo shoot, like he told Aomine he'd be, he would have no problem answering his phone. Aomine might start asking questions if he chose to ignore the call. 

Leaning as far back into the shadows as possible, he pulled his phone out, bit the finger of his glove to pull it off his hand and swiped a finger across the screen. "Hey, babe," he answered softly.

"Hey, baby. Looks like I might be able to make it on time for dinner tonight. Practice is ending early. How about we make it at seven?"

Kise grit his teeth to suppress the groan. "Oh? That's unusual. You sure you aren't just planning on skipping out on the second half?"

"Nah. No game tomorrow. No need to run the drills again. You can even call Satsuki to confirm it."

Kise sighed internally and tried not to roll his eyes. If Aomine was giving permission to call Momoi then there was no way he was lying. He wouldn't have offered the option if he was. "Well, that's wonderful." Kise checked his watch. It was five in the evening. He'd be pushing it if he tried to make it home, cook dinner and have it ready by seven, but he always did love a challenge. "I'll have dinner on the table at seven then."

"Great. See you then."

"Love you."

"Mmm. Love you too."

Kise's grip tightened on his phone and he cursed under his breath. They'd barely passed the preparation phase and he had less than an hour to complete this assignment if he wanted to make it home in time. He pocketed his cellphone and pressed his fingers against the side of his ear.

"Senpai," he rasped into the microphone. "Senpai, I'm going to have to jump in early on this one."

There was a loud string of profanity released in Kise's ear and he heard something smash against a surface, no doubt it was Kasamatsu's fist slamming against the top of the Jeep. "Goddammit, Kise. Moriyama hasn't even gone in to clear the coast yet. You don't know how many men are down there. It's like they're expecting us."

"I don't care how many men are down there," Kise retorted, slipping his glove back on his hand and securing it around his wrist. "I'll clear the area and take out the target myself. I don't have the time to wait."

"No. No! Don't you dare. I know what you're gonna do. Don't even try it. You stay where you are until I say––"

"Sorry, senpai. Dinner is at seven now. Don't have the time." He switched off his earpiece and his mic and moved across the rafters to slide down a column that dropped him to the floor. He had long since perfected the silent landing and, much like a cat, he always landed on his feet. 

The hallway leading to the room where his target was hidden was just around the corner. He had already scoped out the one he occupied and he knew, from Moriyama's report, that there were at least a dozen security personnel lining the next hall over. 

He slid his body along the wall and used the reflection from a blade he'd ejected from his wrist sheath to locate the target's protection. Four were close by and easy targets for the throwing needles he'd been practicing with. He pulled four of the thin, metal needles from the pouch strapped to his upper thigh and slid one between his first two fingers. He didn't have the best angle to reach them all, but he'd have to make due.

Crouching low to the ground, he flicked his wrist around the corner and watched the first needle slip into the man's neck, effectively bringing him down. Once confident with his aim, the next three went down in quick succession. The only problem with his strategy was the sound of bodies falling to the ground. He didn't have the chance to slip out and catch them. 

Two more guards came creeping down the hall and Kise took them out before they could alert the others to his presence. Unfortunately his stock of throwing needles was limited and, in favor of beating the clock, he left them where they were and dove down the hall. Hand to hand combat was never his favorite. It had the potential to leave evidence on the body that could easily raise questions he wasn't willing to answer. 

The first two he caught sight of saw him as well and their shout alerted the remainder to his presence. Groaning inwardly, Kise lunged at the man on his right, bending his index finger and knocking him on the temple hard enough to bring him down, effectively making him lose consciousness. The second man learned from his partner's mistake and kept his head out of reach, but Kise swept his legs out from under him and landed a kick to the side of his skull when he hit the ground. 

There were four left, Kise counted, and his clock was still ticking. 

He took one down with a blow to the neck and took a hard punch to the side when he didn't move away quick enough to block the man's partner. The wind flew from his lungs and he grit his teeth against the pain, locking his arm around the man's fist and using his momentum to fling him into the last two men. They all fell into a pile of tangled limbs and excessive profanity, all of which Kise ended with a few more kicks to their heads.

As he stepped back to survey the damage he'd done he could almost hear Kasamatsu's voice screaming in his ear. It would have been a lot cleaner to let the others take them out. He shrugged and tightened his jacket around his waist. One more mess to make and then he could get home and make that tortellini he'd been wanting to try. 

~~~

Kosuke Hanajima wasn't known for his hospitality so the moment Kise burst into his office, he immediately leveled a gun at the intruder. Kise smirked and held his hands up beside his head to show he was unarmed. Kosuke didn't even bat an eye. He kept the gun resolutely pointed at the heart and Kise could see the way his finger shook with the effort of not pulling the trigger with every step he took forward. 

"Who the fuck are you?" Kosuke spat, leaning to the side to try and get a look out the open doors. "What the hell happened to my security?"

Kise shrugged. "They weren't out there." He continued to take slow steps forward. "Why do you even care where they are when I'm right in front of you?"

Kosuke's icy blue eyes flickered back toward's Kise's smirking face. "I don't know who the hell you are."

Kise dipped his head in a nod. "No, you don't, but..." He lowered his hands and flicked open the top few buttons of his jacket to expose the smooth, bare skin of his chest. "I think you'll want to."

There was moment of hesitation before Kosuke's eyes moved down Kise's body as each button was slowly undone. Once the jacket slipped to the floor there was little left to the imagination. Kise wore a pair of skin tight shorts that hugged the curve of his hips and the round of his ass. It left no questions about what he was packing up front and it was distracting enough that Kosuke didn't bother to glance at the sheaths tightly fastened to Kise's thighs and wrists. 

"I heard you were in the market for another body," Kise commented, taking a step forward. He was waiting for his guard to drop, for Kosuke to forget about the gun in his hand and think only with a different kind of gun in his pants. 

"I–" Kosuke swallowed audibly and his arm slowly lowered as his eyes raked over Kise's almost bare body. He nodded. "A body, yeah. I'm always in the market for a good body like yours." The gun finally reached the desk top, landing with a thud against the wood and Kise took his chance to leap forward, slamming Kosuke against the wall. 

A knife was at Kosuke's throat in a matter of seconds and Kise used his entire body to keep the man pinned. "How many bodies have you tainted, Kosuke?" Kise hissed against his ear. "How many had to suffer at your hands before you sold them like a piece of meat to the highest bidder? How many of them died because of what you did to them, or who you sold them to?"

"I don't––" Kosuke gasped as Kise pressed the tip of the blade into the skin of his neck, drawing a sliver of blood. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh, I think you do." Kosuke tried to get a leg up between them, but Kise jerked his knee up and slammed it into his side. When Kosuke choked on the pain, Kise pressed his body tighter against him as a warning. "Now answer the question."

" _I don't know_ how many died," Kosuke whimpered, leaning his head back as far as he could.

"How convenient for you," Kise expression darkened. "Aren't you just the lucky one? Profiting from everything while each and every person suffered because of you." He pressed the knife harder and the crimson line spread wider along Kosuke's neck.

Kosuke choked out a faint, "Stop... you're gonna ki––"

"Kill you?" Kise breathed, pushing harder. "How many times did they tell you to stop? How many times did you actually comply?"

Kosuke's eyes widened and he shook his head " _I don't know._ "

That was all the answer Kise needed to brace his palm against the base of the hilt. "Wrong answer," He hissed and pushed the entire blade through the man's neck. It was a dirty kill, one that left his face speckled red when Kosuke coughed for the final time, one that left a bloody mess on the floor and more evidence than Kasamatsu would be happy with. But they did have an excellent clean up crew and Kise was confident that no stain would be left behind. 

He took a step back and let Kosuke slide to the floor. Before turning to leave he bent and pulled the knife out of the limp body. "I'll be taking this back," Kise muttered, wiping the soiled blade on the back of Kosuke's shirt. "This is my favorite knife."

~~~

As he made his way to the car, ignoring Kasamatsu's complaints in his ear after having turned the earpiece back on, he pulled out his cell and hit speed dial. 

"Ryouta, I'm on the way home right now."

Kise took a deep breath and smiled. "And dinner is just getting ready, but can you do me a favor?"

Aomine grunted in response on the other end of the line. 

"The flowers at the table are dying." He heard a heavy sigh rasp through the phone and his lips twitched as he continued, "We need a new bouquet to liven up the table a bit. You mind stopping to get some?"

"You know I hate the florist. That woman is a bitch."

"I'm sure she hates you too, babe," Kise replied with a soft chuckle as he pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket to wipe the mess off his face. "White and blue will match nicely with the new table settings, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. But don't grumble if I'm a little late. I suck at picking out flowers."

"You're the best, Daiki. Love you."

"Love you too."

He opened the door to his car and tossed the phone in the backseat. Kasamatsu stepped up behind him and held out a hand. 

"Give me the goddamn headset and go home to make your stupid dinner while we clean up _your_ mess."

Pulling the earpiece out to hand it over, Kise chuckled. "I promise I'll help next time."

"Heard it too many times. Go home, you fucking housewife."

Kise snorted as he got in and slammed the car door. He had bought himself a window of time and he intended to make use of it, even if it meant he'd have to take a verbal, and possibly, physical beating from his senpai later. 

_At least dinner will be ready on time._


	6. Tortellini

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at home should be a relaxing affair, but Kise and Aomine struggle to fill a silence that had been a longstanding presence in their relationship. It's difficult to have a relaxing dinner when the air filled with secrets and lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shorter chapter full of forcibly domestic aokise before they get down and dirty. And by down and dirty I mean the gun-pointing, knife-throwing, fist-fighting kind. 
> 
> -V

Aomine had no problem with flowers. He had to admit that Kise was right when he said they brought life and color to a room. He hated the florist. She had this pinched face that only got tighter when she saw Aomine walk through the door. Aomine told Kise he thought she rubbed lemons on her face, but Kise had told him she was just old and angry, but she still arranged some of the most beautiful flowers. So he angled the heater toward the bouquet in the car hoping that a few of them would wilt. Maybe bringing home some half-dead flowers would make Kise consider going to a different florist. 

He pulled into the driveway and punched the button to open the garage, glancing at the flowers as he put his car in park. There were a few that dropped in an almost dejected manner and Aomine nodded to himself, satisfied with the result. He snatched the bouquet from the passenger seat and made his way inside.

"Ryouta, I'm home."

He could hear Kise clattering around in the kitchen. Dropping his keys in the bowl by the front door, he shrugged off his coat, tossed it onto the stark white coat rack and walked into the kitchen. One glance in the dining room and he noted how the table was already set, a bottle of wine set on one end, a beer bottle on the other. The silverware glistened in the light from the chandelier and there was a large bowl of pasta set in the center of the table beside a basket of rolls. It was almost 7:30 p.m. and Aomine was half an hour late. 

With a sigh, he rapped on the wall to get Kise's attention and held up the flowers. "Told you these would make me late."

Kise spun around and his eyes darted to the flowers. Aomine watched as Kise's eyes zeroed in on the wilting ones. "Daiki, what happened to the flowers?"

Aomine took a few steps forward and grabbed the vase off the island. It seemed Kise had already prepared a place for the flowers, water already sitting in the container. He dropped the flowers in after tearing the plastic off the stems and held them out to Kise. "Hell if I know. I bet the bitch gives me dead ones cause she hates me."

With a roll of his eyes, Kise snatched the vase from Aomine's hands and disappeared into the dining room. "You could've double-checked before you left."

"'Cause perfect flowers are at the top of my priority list," Aomine retorted. 

"Just a suggestion." Kise brushed past him, pausing to glance in his direction.

In that brief moment, Aomine caught sight of a splash of red on Kise's neck. A brow quirked and he reached out to grab Kise's wrist, pulling him forward. "There's something on your neck, Ryouta." He lifted his hand to his mouth and swiped his tongue across his thumb. "Something red." As he reached out to wipe the stain away, Kise jerked his body back. Aomine blinked in his confusion. 

"Ahaha––" Kise whipped his arm back and pulled a paper towel off the rack, wiping it across his neck. "How silly of me. It must've been from the tomatoes I was cutting for the salad. Stupid things were splattering everywhere."

Aomine took a step back and pursed his lips. "The tomatoes?" He angled his head to the side and glanced at the dining table. "What salad?"

"It's in the fridge. Didn't want it to get warm."

"Fine." Aomine shrugged and took a step around Kise to head toward the fridge. "I'll put it on the table."

Kise's arm shot out and he grabbed Aomine's wrist with a shout of, "No!"

Aomine tugged his arm back, brow high on his forehead as he stared incredulously at Kise. "What the fuck, Ryouta? It's just salad."

"I've got it, Daiki," KIse replied with a shake of his head. "I put the bottle opener at your placemat, so you can go ahead and open your beer. Serve yourself some pasta. I'll have the salad out by the time you're done."

Aomine frowned, but didn't bother trying to argue. Kise could be stubborn as a rock sometimes and, even then, a rock had the ability to corrode over time. Kise didn't. With a shrug, Aomine stepped back and made his way into the dining room. He grabbed his plate and filled it with pasta, as Kise requested, and snapped open the beer bottle on the end of the table instead of using the bottle opener. Kise hated when he did that, but there was no harm in what he didn't know, right? 

As he made his way to his seat he heard the continuous clack of metal against a wooden surface. He cocked his head to the side and shouted, "Oi, Ryouta. What the hell are you doing in there?"

"Just––" There was a soft curse and a loud clatter that sounded like Kise threw silverware into the sink. "Cutting up some more lettuce for the salad. Added too many tomatoes. Wasn't balanced."

Finally Kise appeared with the bowl of salad. He served himself and took his seat across from Aomine at the table. As usual, silence filled the space between them. If Kise didn't break the silence right away Aomine knew that he was waiting for the first comment to come from him. He could still see it in the way Kise's eyes rose every couple of seconds, exuding that same glimmer of expectancy that he'd shown ever since they first started dating. It used to say, "Talk to me, Aominecchi. Talk to me!" now all Aomine could read was, "Well?".

"This is pretty good." Aomine poked at the pasta. "What is it?"

"Tortellini," Kise replied, taking a sip from his wine glass.

"Tortellini?"

"It's a type of pasta usually stuffed with––"

"I _know_ what tortellini is, Ryouta."

Kise's brow rose and he popped a piece of the pasta into his mouth. "Then maybe you shouldn't repeat what I say like you don't know what it is."

Aomine's jaw clenched. "I was only repeating it because it's not something you usually make."

"Oh," Kise's hand waved in a dismissive manner that made Aomine want to fling a piece of the tortellini right into his beautiful face. "Wanted to try something a little different tonight."

Aomine let out a slow breath, almost a sigh. "Well, it's pretty good."

"Thank you."

The silence returned. Only the clink of their silverware against the plates and their occasional soft sighs could be heard. Aomine debated on whether or not he wanted to be the one to break it again, but the way Kise shifted in his chair was enough to let him know that he could remain silent. Kise had something to tell him. 

"This Friday," Kise began, setting his silverware on either side of his plate. "Midorimacchi is having a party."

"Ah, right." Aomine nodded. "Tadashi mentioned it this morning. Some big shindig type thing for some stupid event."

Kise rolled his eyes. "Really, Daiki, it's not a stupid event." He ran the tip of his index finger around the rim of his wine glass. "His little sister just got engaged. It's an engagement party. I already told him we were going. It starts at eight."

"Pretty sure I've got practice then, but I'll try to make it out on time."

"You're capable of making it on time. I have a photo shoot and I won't be late."

Aomine snorted. "You never are, baby."

"Just make sure you're back here by 7:30 so we can get ready and leave."

"I'll pencil it in."

Kise frowned and shook his head. "Ink it in. You're not gonna make me go alone."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ryouta."


	7. Informational Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kise meets with Kasamatsu to learn about his new assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow set up until the real stuff begins. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading and for the lovely comments. You're all far too kind. ^^
> 
> -V

"Kise, if you walk in late one more time, I swear I'm going to––"

"Maaaah, I know, senpai!" Kise threw his arm up in the air as he stomped into the meeting room almost an hour later than he had promised he'd be there. "I couldn't get away from the photo shoot. They asked me for another one. Even when I told them I had somewhere to be, they made me "call" and say I would be late."

Kasamatsu's brows furrowed and he leveled a stern gaze at Kise. "And you _pretended_ to call me instead of actually calling? You could have let me know."

Kise grimaced. Truthfully, he had been more worried that Aomine would call the agency and find out he wasn't there when he knew what time Kise's shoot was supposed to start and potentially end. "You're right, you're right. I wasn't thinking." He flung himself into the chair beside Kasamatsu and glanced at the screen projected on the wall opposite them. A man's face, none too attractive, stared back at him. He had eyebrows thicker than Kagami's and scowl that could rival Aomine's even on his worst days. "What d'you got for me, senpai?"

Kise's chair jerked to the side as Kasamatsu kicked it away before he tapped the space bar on his laptop to bring up the next image. "That guy was your next target. This guy," He double-clicked on the image and zoomed in on the man's neck. A number was barely visible on his skin, but Kise already knew what it meant without having to see a clearer image. "is Tanaka. One of the few mafia members left. And he's one of the big bosses judging by how low that number is. I can't quite make it out, but its under twenty. That means a hell of a lot considering one through ten were taken out ages ago."

"Pretty sure it says fifteen, but I'm not positive." Kise shrugged and propped his legs up on the table, earning him another kick from Kasamatsu. He chuckled and lowered his feet to the ground, leaning his elbow on the edge of the table. "Doesn't matter the number. I'll take him out, no problem."

He could almost hear Kasamatsu rolling his eyes in response. "Anyway, Tanaka isn't your hit, Kise. That first guy is. Nothing but a drug dealer who got himself into some deep shit. Not quite sure how it works, but he's peddling computer coding and pawning it off on other lackeys to install in banks around the country. Tanaka is taking hard-earned money from people who actually deserve it. That bastard." Kasamatsu scowled and flipped to the next slide. "Wish I could say he was pulling some Robinhood steal-from-the-rich, give-to-the-poor crap, but he's just flat out stealing. It's all done so seamlessly though that none of the banks have caught on to the bug in their systems. People have complained, but the banks have found ways to compensate. The money loss isn't so great that it can't be amended. At least not yet."

Kise pulled his favorite pocket knife out of the back pocket of his jeans. It was sleek and dark blue with an engraving that read, "Beginner's luck". Aomine had given it to him for their first anniversary, recounting the time when Kise blew his mind with "some kick ass knife throwing skills" at the festival they attended when they first started dating. Kise thumbed at the lever to release the knife and slowly twirled it between his fingers as he spoke, "So I have to go there," He gestured to the screen with his free hand. A new image of a line of warehouses appeared on the screen. "to take out the drug dealer?"

"He's gonna be transported there for an exchange with another individual that can end up as a causality for all I care. He's the one buying the coding off of Tanaka so he can install it in the bank in his hometown." Kasamatsu pulled up a graph and highlighted the numbers one by one. "From what I can tell, Tanaka offers them a share of the profits for the installation and the numbers are supposed to gradually climb the longer the code is left undetected in the programming. This will cause problems for us too. We have a lot of money in more banks than I can count. They're likely to be hit by Tanaka's scheme and the company isn't willing to risk losing any money to someone they'll more than likely take out in the future."

"Hm..."

"So take out the drug dealer and any witnesses," Kasamatsu ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "He'll likely be surrounded by a fair amount of muscle. Tanaka wouldn't take any chances with something like this so he'll send his best. Just stay on your toes."

Without warning, Kise flicked his wrist and the pocket knife cut through air and imbedded itself into the wall, lodged in the image of the warehouse door. He ignored Kasamatsu's growled reprimand and smirked, "I can't believe you think a little muscle would scare me. Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Kise... don't you start with me."

"Muscle, check. I'll take them out no problem. Just tell me where I can enter." He shoved himself out of the chair and moved across the room all liquid, predatory grace. He gestured toward the knife in the wall. "Because I know the front door is off limits."

"I'll send the blueprints to your phone. Make sure to look them over before you get there. Your 'perfect copy' doesn't extend to your memorization skills. And make sure to meet with us after."

"Sorry, senpai. Can't meet after. I have a thing to go to."

Kasamatsu slammed his laptop shut and cast a sideways glance at Kise. "A thing?"

"A thing. A dinner with the neighbors. Big party. I told them I'd go and my husband already knows about it too. He'll kill me if skipped out on it." 

Kasamatsu snorted. "Nice choice of words. He probably wouldn't have the skills to be able to kill you. Does he know just how deadly you are? Or is he just afraid of that fiery temper of yours?"

"Senpai!" Kise shook his head. He grabbed the hilt of his pocket knife and jerked it out of the wall. "He doesn't know anything about this and I'd rather keep it that way."

"Why?" Kasamatsu asked. "What's the point in hiding it? He liked when you showed off your knife-throwing skills, didn't he?"

Aomine had brought that up for days afterward, but Kise had insisted it was a one time occurrence and stuck to his argument that it was beginner's luck. However, throwing knives at a wooden target was a bit easier to understand than throwing knives at a human target and collecting money for hitting the beating bullseye. "He liked my knife-throwing skills at the festival. I don't think he'd like them so much if he knew they were hitting people instead."

"You never know. What's the worst that could happen?"

Kise sighed and spared a glance at the wall, empty since Kasamatsu closed his laptop. He didn't worry about many things in life because he felt like he only had a select few moments to spare. Aomine was one big moment and he wasn't quite sure he was ready for that to end.

_He could leave me._


	8. Silencers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Imayoshi informs Aomine about his next target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Aomine version of chapter 7.
> 
> -V

Aomine slipped a magazine into the chamber of his favored Browning and locked the silencer into place on the barrel. He hefted the pistol into his hand and weighed out the new accessory. "Why the hell is it so much heavier than the last one?" He held it out in front of him and found he had to tighten his grip. "When you said you'd find me a shorter silencer I didn't think it would be heavier."

"Don't pretend you can't work around that."

Aomine glanced to the side and watched Imayoshi tap away at his keyboard. "What the hell are you even typing on there?"

Imayoshi pulled his eyes away from his computer, glancing over the top of his glasses. The light from the screen reflected off the lenses, making him look more sinister than he usually did. Aomine shuddered and turned away, fiddling with the butt of his gun. "Searching for a silencer for your beretta on ebay."

"You're full of shit," Aomine said with a snort. He gripped the gun again, testing the weight of the Browning in his non-dominant hand. It was inconvenient, but nothing he couldn't get used to. "What the hell are you really doing?"

"Compiling the research I've gathered on your latest target," Imayoshi replied, leaning back in his chair. "This should be a simple hit. He's nothing more than a drug dealer, but he got himself into a nasty bit of business when he decided to deal with highly desirable computer coding instead of his usual packets of cocaine. My guess is he doesn't know that the man he's working for is essentially a member of the mafia, or what's left of it, and these computer codes aren't simple programs. He uses them to infiltrate the computer systems of major banks to siphon money from the bank accounts of the common folk into his own. It's a rather brilliant scheme, if you ask me, but unfortunately illegal. He's not the target just yet, but soon enough you'll be asked to take him out, I'm sure."

"So I'm just taking out the fucking drug dealer? That's it?" It had been nothing but small jobs the past few months. They all paid well, despite the lack of notoriety of the target, but they didn't challenge him enough. He stopped carrying extra ammo and sometimes didn't even bother with the firepower at all, much to Imayoshi's frustration. He was getting a little sloppy with his kills, but it was nothing Imayoshi's team couldn't clean up. There was never a mess left behind, no witnesses, nothing to trace. "Damnit, Imayoshi. Give me something interesting, for fucks sake."

Imayoshi chuckled and hit a few more keys before bringing the printer to life. "This isn't a small job, Aomine, and it needs to be done. The assets of our company are at risk here as well. No account is safe. Anything that compromises us needs to be eliminated. Besides, if he's working for Tanaka then it's likely the man himself, or at the very least some significant muscle, will be around to protect him. You might get the challenge you were searching for."

"Tch," Aomine scoffed and took aim at a chair across the room.

"Aomine, don't––"

The soft whoosh as the bullet ripped from the barrel of the gun and whizzed through the silencer was barely more than a brush of air. If people had been listening they might've mistaken it for a sigh. The center of the chair split open as the bullet carved through the fabric and out the wooden back. Aomine grinned and clicked the safety into place. "This shit ain't so bad once you shoot."

With a sigh, Imayoshi pushed his glasses up his face and shook his head. "I just ordered these chairs and you destroy them. I'm taking the expense out of your pay for this job."

"Yeah, yeah," Aomine rolled his eyes. Imayoshi didn't know how to have fun. He was one step below whoever it was that gave the orders and he was the only one who had seen the man's face and knew who he was. Of course, no amount of probing and pressing would get the information from him. Aomine tried and eventually gave up after numerous fruitless attempts at earning the knowledge himself. Imayoshi could keep a secret if it benefitted him to do so. He never made a move without a motive. Aomine trusted him, to an extent, but wouldn't put it past the guy to pull a gun on him and shoot him in the back if someone offered him enough incentive to do so. One could never tread too carefully around Imayoshi.

"By the way, we have a meeting tonight after the hit," Imayoshi stood and crossed the room to the printer to pull out the freshly printed pages. He offered them to Aomine and returned to his seat. "Try not to miss it."

"Can't come," Aomine replied, absently flipping through his new study material. "The husband's got a party thing. I don't know. I said I'd be there."

Imayoshi's lips twitched. "You two have an awful lot of "things" to go to."

"Our neighbor just got a promotion at work or something. They invited us out to dinner and he already agreed for us. Kinda have to go to keep up appearances."

"How domestic of you," Imayoshi's lips spread into a thin, mischievous smile. "And what would your husband say if you told him you had a meeting?"

"He'd call bullshit because everything I do," Aomine paused and corrected himself. "Everything I do for _basketball_ , with my team, is on our calendar. I don't hide anything from him."

Imayoshi gestured around his office. It was bathed in blacks and grays and the wall of firepower had to be impressive enough to rival even the most well-armed military base. "You hide all of this."

Aomine scowled. "This is different, asshole."

"What would your husband think of your gun wielding skills?"

"He'd probably be freaked out by it. Or turned on, who knows." Aomine shrugged. He recalled winning that panther stuffed animal that Kise still kept on the chair in their room through a shooting game, but that was the only time he remembered using a gun in front of his husband. The thought of showing him his collection of revolvers and other deadly firearms made him shudder. Kise might find it cool on the surface, but if he started to wonder what Aomine used them for––and he surely would because the guy was too curious for his own good––he was certain Kise would second guess the ring on his finger. "I'd rather he not find that out."

"Turned on? That would be quite an interesting reaction. Have you ever considered using an unloaded gun during––"

"No. Never. Shut up."

Imayoshi chuckled. "Only a question. No need to get so heated."

"You're disgusting."

Imaoyshi waved a hand as if to clear the air and said, "But really, Aomine, have you ever considered telling him about any of this?"

"Honestly?" Aomine holstered his gun and turned to face Imayoshi. "No. I've never thought about it."

"I don't believe that. You probably wanted to share the information before you tied the knot. What are you afraid of? You're essentially removing evil from this world, right? What's the worst that could happen if he finds out?"

Aomine sighed and headed for the door, lifting the papers in a wave goodbye so Imayoshi could see that he was taking them with.

_He could leave me._


	9. No One Takes My Hits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise's assignment should be an easy one. He shouldn't have to get his hands dirty and he certainly shouldn't have to run from the site his team had set up perfectly for him. Then again, there shouldn't have been anyone else on the scene, but there was. Someone sporting a weapon with the ability to use it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all the lovely readers out their for their patience and for the fact that they take the time to watch this marvelous movie. It really is so aokise. So thank you for that. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter. ^^
> 
> -V

“This isn’t the best vantage point, senpai.” Kise braced a hand against the rusty wall that framed the only window that looked out onto the path that cut through the warehouse lot. He had set up his equipment, computer just out of sight, tracking his target’s vehicle. Another computer monitored the perimeter that Moriyama had set up hours ago. He had packed an impressive amount of firepower, only as a precaution of course, and had his favored knives sheathed at his wrists, thighs and ankles. Despite how prepared he was, how well thought out the plan was, he still had to find something to gripe about. 

“Shut up, Kise. It’s the best we could get on such short notice,” Kasamatsu hissed through the earpiece. The faint sound of fingers clicking against keys crackled in Kise’s ear. “Besides, it’s not like you need a decent vantage point to take out your target.”

Kise smirked. His ego didn’t need inflating, but hearing his teammates admit that he was the best every now and again did help to boost his morale. “Maaah, senpai, that doesn’t mean I don’t want one.”

“Shut up,” Kasamatsu muttered again.

The computers hummed behind him and Kise glanced at the screen. He could see the small green dot steadily moving closer and closer to where he was stationed, but it was still too far to act. He didn’t even have to monitor the screen. Moriyama had set up sensors that would trigger a string of small explosives once the target was within range. The hope was that the explosives would knock the truck off balance, forcing the driver and his passengers to flee from the vehicle and step out into the open. From there, Kise could take his shot and eliminate the target and any witnesses; no mess. No one would even know they were there.

Kise set up a chair and gracefully collapsed into the seat. He toyed with the clasp of his wrist sheath and let his mind wander. Unfortunately, giving himself time to think meant he’d have nothing on his mind but his steadily failing marriage. He could admit that things weren’t the same. They didn’t smile the same way they used to. He almost couldn’t remember Aomine’s touch. Of course, he knew people fell into a rut every now and again, but they had been in a rut for over a year and Kise couldn’t see a way to climb out.

The therapist told them this was normal. He’d said all couples have their separate lives and sometimes they take precedence and cause conflict in a relationship. Kise sighed and tilted his head to the side. If only the therapist knew what his separate life entailed.

“What the hell are you sighing about?” Kasamatsu snapped in his ear.

Kise shook his head and sat up straighter in his chair. He couldn’t talk to Kasamatsu about the mundane domesticity of his other life. He would only scoff and tell Kise to get over it. Kasamatsu didn’t believe in having a relationship in their line of work. “Just wondering what the Coach is gonna do with the computer coding when he gets his hands on it,” he lied.

“Probably destroy it.”

“I don’t know about that.” Kise never questioned the man they worked for, at least not out loud. When you were a dangerous person who worked for an even more dangerous person, you learned when to keep your mouth shut. He was a valuable asset to their company, but valuable assets could lose their shine and Kise wasn’t beyond believing that one of these days the same guns he used to take out the bad guys would be turned against him.

The coding was an impressive piece of genius, despite the mind it came from. Tanaka wasn’t known for being the most cunning member of the mafia, but anything that could better his life was fair game. It came as no surprise to Kise that this messenger needed to be eliminated and the code retrieved. Anything detrimental to the agency had to fall into the hands of the Coach or disappear entirely. Kise assumed the coding would fall to the former.

It was illegal, yes, but he wouldn’t put it past the Coach to find a way to utilize the technology to his advantage without anyone’s knowledge but his own. Kasamatsu had too much faith in the man and Kise had too little faith in everyone. He wasn’t about to assume the Coach would destroy something so valuable.

“He’ll destroy it, Kise," Kasamatsu said, after a prolonged, contemplative silence.

Kise laughed weakly and waved a hand in the air, knowing that Kasamatsu couldn’t see the dismissive gesture. “Of course, senpai. Of course he will.”

Kasamatsu’s tut of disapproval didn’t go unnoticed, but as Kise was about to comment his computer beeped. His head whirled around and he glanced at the screen in time to see the sensors on the opposite end of the lot flare to life. He pushed himself out of the chair he’d collapsed in and crouched in front of the screen. His fingers raced across the keyboard, pulling up the security images being fed to his system.

“Senpai, I thought you said these warehouses were deserted.”

He heard Kasamatsu swear under his breath and he hacked into Kise’s computer from his base not far from the site. “It is,” He insisted. He highlighted the dot representing the target and mapped its course to the lot. “He’s not even supposed to enter from that side. Of course, Moriyama’s perimeter covers the entirety of the lot because he’s thorough with every job, but we scanned the area for any signs of human life and it came up clean. I don’t know what…” He maximized the feed from the camera and paused as he zoomed in on the body that had entered their perimeter. “Or _who_ the hell that is.”

Kise frowned. “If it’s a bystander I can’t just eliminate him.” He tried to make out the face of the man as he casually strolled through the warehouse lot. “I don’t hurt innocent people, senpai.”

“You think I don’t know that, Kise?” Kasamatsu snarled. He slowly began deactivating the charges set up around the man. “This is gonna fuck up our plan if he gets to the path. We can’t just blow up a truck in front of someone.” A heavy sigh rasped through the earpiece. “You might have to get on the ground, Kise. Knock him out, or something, if he gets too close. Then take out the target and his transporters by hand, up close and personal.”

Kise’s lips twitched. “You make it sound like I can’t do that.”

“Don’t start your cocky shit with me. This mission cannot be compromised.”

With a soft chuckle, earning another tut of disapproval from Kasamatsu, he directed his attention to the camera feed. He couldn’t make out the man’s face. He wore a construction helmet with a wide brim that effectively shielded his face from view, but there was something about the way he walked that Kise found familiar. The man moved with a liquid grace, like he had perfect control of every muscle in his body. Kise leaned closer to the screen to get a closer look at the man and jumped when the angle suddenly changed.

The path he was on now was certainly familiar. It was the one Kise was stationed on, the one his window looked down upon. He threw himself back into the chair, tipping it onto the front two legs and craning his neck to get a better view of the man as he stepped into view.

“Senpai, he’s on the path.”

"I can see that, Kise."

Kise braced a hand against the windowsill, eyes trained on the man as he dropped a large bag he was carrying and began pulling out metal bars. Kise’s eyes narrowed. The man was building what looked like a tripod.

“Is he really just a construction worker?” Kise mused aloud. “It looks like he might be setting up those things you use to measure buildings, or something like that.”

“I don’t know,“ Kasamatsu hissed in return. “Just keep your eyes on him. He’s right in the line of fire. If we’re lucky he’ll leave on his own in time for us to complete the assignment as planned.”

He wasn’t opposed to finishing an assignment as planned. There were times where he made a mess, but he wasn’t about to let some construction worker prevent him from completing his task. A part of him was tempted to stun the man. He did have a stun gun on hand. Kasamatsu might not approve of stunning him, however, if there was a chance he could leave unharmed.

“Neh, senpai,” Kise tapped his finger against his earpiece. “What if I just stun him and––“ He trailed off as the man proceeded to pull a large firearm out of the bag.

Sensors blared in his ears and his computer screen flashed red, the security images zeroing in on the weapon. He could hear Kasamatsu furiously smashing his fingers against his keyboard. He glanced at the screen as it scanned the weapon and flashed the information on it across the screen. He swore under his breath.

“It’s a shoulder-launch missile.” Kise reached behind him and snagged his sniper rifle off the table he’d set up. “He isn’t a construction worker.” He slowly rose from the chair and made his way to the other side of the window, keeping himself hidden in the shadows. He brought the gun level with his cheek and took aim.

_Use your cheek as an anchor, babe._

Kise grimaced and shook his head to rid it of Aomine’s voice. The last thing he needed was that distracting drawl in his head.

“Kise, what the hell are you doing?”

“Someone is trying to take my hit,” He whispered, voice low and dangerous. “Like hell I’m letting that happen.” His finger brushed the trigger, watching the man heft the launcher onto his shoulder. “No one takes my hits.”

“Kise, don’t––“

Kasamatsu’s shout of warning was ignored as Kise pulled the trigger. Unfortunately for him, the man stepped back a fraction of an inch, just enough for the bullet to whizz over his shoulder and crack through the wall of the neighboring building. The nearest charge went off, sending the man flying backward. Kise fell to the ground to avoid any flying debris that happened to enter the window.

His ears rang and he was only vaguely aware of Kasamatsu’s cursing. He slowly pushed himself off the ground, waving his hand in front of his face to clear away the smoke. As he lifted himself enough to peer out the window, he could vaguely make out the shape of the man on the ground. He wasn’t sure where the weapon had disappeared to.

Without hesitation, Kise reached behind him until his fingers closed around the barrel of his rifle. He remained crouched against the floor as he slid back into the corner, eyes resolutely aimed toward the ground as he held the rifle at his side. The smoke gradually began to clear and Kise could see the man’s legs come into view, sprawled upon the ground.

“Kise, he’s still there,” Kasamatsu’s voice finally came through the earpiece strong and clear. “He’s still alive. The blast didn’t kill him.”

“Where’s the weapon?” Kise slowly lifted his firearm to his cheek.

“The sensors aren’t back up. I can’t see it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

Kise took a deep breath and took aim once again. More of the man came into view until the bottom half of his face was revealed. Kise could just barely make out a smirk spreading across his lips before his eyes darted to his revealed shoulder, the launcher firmly in place at the ready.

He drew in a sharp breath. “Oh shit…”

“KISE, GET DOWN FROM THERE!” Kasamatsu roared in his ear, but Kise was already diving off the second floor. He heard the shot from the launcher and felt the impact of the missile as the smoke clouded around him. He hit the ground hard, slammed his shoulder into the back door to force it open and ran.

~~~

Kise stomped up to the truck that carried them all to the drop zone where Kasamatsu had all their equipment set up to monitor the site. He slapped Kasamatsu’s worrying hand away and snapped, “Where is the target?”

Kasamatsu grimaced. That was never a good sign. “The explosions must have alerted them because they turned around. They drove off the radar. We lost the target."

He swore and slammed his hand against the side of the truck. Kise never lost his targets. He glanced to the side to see Moriyama trotting up to him with a first aid kit, fussing at the wound that Kise hadn’t noticed on his shoulder. He didn’t push him away.

“Who the hell was that, senpai?”

Kasamatsu shrugged. “I don’t know, Kise.” He sighed and pulled up the camera feed, zooming in on his face as far as the image would allow. “I can only guess that he was someone who had the same target as you. Rival agency member, perhaps.”

His face darkened and he stared at the screen. He could still see the way the man smirked. The image was burned into his mind and there was something telling about that smirk, something he knew.

“I want to know who the hell that bitch is, “ Kise hissed, using his uninjured arm to point at the screen. “Get me his name, his address, where he works, anything. Just find out who the hell he is.”

“Kise there’s no point in––“

A cell phone rang and Kise’s eyes darted to the device sitting on the table. Kasamatsu glanced at the screen and frowned, extending it toward Kise. “It’s the coach.”

It was Kise's turn to grimace as grabbed the phone from Kasamatsu's outstretched hand. He lifted it to his ear and pressed it to the side of his face. “Coach, the assignment was compromised. There was another man on the hit and he––“

“I thought Kasamatsu had explained how important this assignment was.”

“He did. He did, Coach. And we had everything set up perfectly. No one would have known. We would have finished the job quick and clean, but there was another guy––“

“Did you take him out?”

Kise fell silent.

“Kise, I asked you a question. Did you take him out?”

He sighed. “No, I didn’t get to. Everything was compromised.”

A long silence followed his admission and Kise could feel the sweat running down his back.

“You know what happens when you leave witnesses behind, Kise.”

Kise nodded. “I know, Coach.”

“You have 48 hours."

"Understood."

Kise squeezed the phone as the line went dead, slowly lowering it to his side. Kasamatsu’s started at him, his gaze asking the unasked question he already knew the answer to.

“Find out who he is,” Kise finally said. “I have a new target.”


	10. Beginner's Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine loses a target for the first time ever. He never loses a hit, but he does care that he's failed because he's left with a much more troublesome problem than a mere blow to his ego.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long delay in ch posting. I hope you are all still interested and enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing mr. and mrs. smith aokise!
> 
> -V

"Make sure you keep that helmet securely on your head, Aomine."

Aomine grumbled incoherently in response and lifted his free hand to adjust his construction helmet. His disguise, if it could even be called that, was blocking his view.

"No need for your caveman grumbling." He could hear Imayoshi rustling papers through his earpiece. "I wouldn't have to remind you if you had let me set up a perimeter ahead of time so I could have eyes on the ground as well."

"I thought you had eyes everywhere," Aomine retorted. 

"Everywhere but the abandoned lot you're on."

With a heavy sigh, Aomine hefted his bag further up his shoulder and trudged through the warehouse lot. "You've got a camera in this stupid helmet, so you have eyes on the ground too." He bobbed his head from side to side, feeling the helmet move against his scalp. The hiss of frustration he heard in response made his lips twitch upward in his amusement. "Besides, I don't need your eyes when mine are just as good, if not better. It's like you don't know who the hell you assigned to this task."

"Aomine," Imayoshi's response came clipped and low in warning. "This limited view is frustrating. Don't make it more so."

Aomine held back that the laugh that rose in his throat. He didn't have to admit it aloud because they both knew it, but testing Imayoshi's patience, especially on hits where he couldn't be present, was something of a hobby of his. They worked well enough together, but Imayoshi preferred to know every little aspect of a hit and Aomine like to roll with the punches. He was too lazy to scope the place out beforehand. 

The empty lot–and it was _empty_ as far as Aomine could see–didn't need scoping. The further he walked, the more desolate it became. If he didn't have Imayoshi in his ear he knew he'd be listening to nothing but his heartbeat and the crunch of gravel underfoot. He'd memorized the layout before he arrived. Imayoshi had dropped him off at the far east end, far enough away that he had a hike ahead of him to reach the path that cut through the center of the lot. He knew Imayoshi chose the drop point for the purpose of forcing Aomine to take in as much of his surroundings as he could before reaching his intended destination. 

"Could you have chosen a further spot?" he grumbled, rolling his shoulder under the weight of the bag. "Not like this fucking thing isn't heavy or anything."

Imayoshi's quiet chuckle echoed in his ear and his mouth twisted into a scowl. "I could've dropped you off in the woods and had you fend for yourself until you found the lot on your own." He could almost hear the grin in Imayoshi's voice. "Would've been a good experience –– you bonding with nature." 

Aomine rolled his eyes and turned at the next corner. A wide open space cut between the rows of warehouses. The ground was unpaved, but smooth. Parts of the path dipped inward creating two small ditches that ran in perfectly straight lines. It was obvious what the path was used for and it was the only road the truck carrying his target could use to make its way through the lot. 

He smirked and wandered into the middle of the path, allowing the bag to slide down his arm and fall heavily to the ground. He rotated his shoulder with a low groan and surveyed the length of the path spread out before him. He'd be spotted easily, but he figured his presence was enough of an element of surprise that he'd have the time to aim and shoot. He wasn't looking to kill the man immediately, only to upend his transportation so his bodyguards could scatter. Of course, that would make the job too easy so Aomine was hoping the men had enough guts to face him head on to offer more of a challenge. 

This want remained silent. If Imayoshi knew Aomine intended to provoke a fight he'd find a way to step in and take over the hit himself. The last thing Aomine wanted was to lose his hit to someone else. However, it was supposed to be a quick grab and go; get the coding, take out the hit and run. Aomine didn't do grab and gos.

"You should keep yourself hidden," Imayoshi said, a warning he knew Aomine wouldn't heed. 

"S'not like they know anyone is gonna be here," he replied bending to unzip the bag he'd been carrying. "I've already got the element of surprise." He pulled metal bars from within the bag and fit them together, piece by piece creating a small tripod in front of him. "Besides... I've got this." He hefted a large firearm onto his shoulder, testing out the weight.

He vaguely wondered what Kise would think of him, missile launcher on his shoulder, appraising the weapon like a new pair of shoes. He'd proven his ability to handle a gun long before their relationship took a turn for the serious, but he couldn't imagine Kise approving of his taste in hobbies now. Then again, this was a job, not a hobby. He groaned inwardly at the thought. 

For the past few weeks he'd been contemplating opening the doors to the biggest secret in his life and finally giving Kise a peek inside. But every time he considered the option, every scenario he played out in his head ended with Kise's bags packed at the door and a tearful goodbye on his lips. He wasn't ready to give up what they had and if keeping it meant keeping secrets then his mouth would remain sealed.

The fingers of his free hand smoothed down the wide barrel of the missile launcher almost reverently, despite the confusion and frustration that plagued his mind, when a sharp gasp crackled through his earpiece.

"What the fuck?" Wakamatsu's voice echoed from a distance and Aomine could tell he'd just entered the van. From the video feed, only the barrel of the gun would be visible, but it was enough of a glimpse to know what Aomine was packing. "How come he gets to use the shoulder-launch? You always veto my request to use that shit!"

"You couldn't handle this shit," Aomine patted the barrel of the gun and grinned. He didn't have to show his face. Wakamatsu would know what expression he was sporting. Their banter was never ending and most of Aomine's quips were at Wakamatsu's expense. He had to give the guy credit for his abilities though. He was large and seemingly clumsy and uncontrolled, but as an assassin he was well-known for his swift and silent kills. He could remain as invisible as Sakurai and was physically stronger than Aomine. He knew when his provocation was taking a turn for the worse and when to back down. He'd seen Wakamatsu snap a man's neck with barely more than a twitch of his wrist. 

However, this didn't stop Aomine from teasing the guy every chance he got. 

"I can too handle that shit! Just because I've never used one doesn't mean I'm not as capable as you are, Aho–" 

Aomine heard a faint slap and a hiss from Wakamatsu and Imayoshi's smooth voice replaced Wakamatsu's gravelly tone. 

"You can count yourself lucky that I lent that to you, Aomine." Imayoshi's voice took a dangerous dip and he felt goosebumps race down his spine. The man had gotten his position for a reason, after all. "But you can consider it a one time loan if you're going to treat it as a toy to tempt Wakamatsu with."

"Got it, got it." He took a step forward, positioning his feet at either end of the tripod and bending his knees to slowly lower the missile launcher against the stand. He had almost positioned it just right when Imayoshi's voice came through the speaker again.

"Keep your eyes open." Aomine rolled them instead. "I know you just rolled your eyes at me. I could almost hear them moving in your empty head."

"Hey, you--"

"I'm being very serious. Things are going too... smoothly."

Aomine scoffed. "You like when a hit is nice and smooth." He shook his head. He wasn't used to Imayoshi projecting such a high level of paranoia. "This place is dead as fuck so don't--"

"Wait," He could hear Imayoshi's fingers furiously smashing against the keys. "Turn your head to the left for a second. I thought I saw something."

Aomine's brow rose and he fought the urge to roll his eyes again, but he took a half a step back and turned his head a fraction to the left. Barely a second later he heard the sharp sound a bullet cutting through the air and his eyes widened as he felt the wind slap against his face. He had less than a second to register what he'd heard and felt because the impact of said bullet resulted in an explosion, sending him flying backward. His back hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him. His shoulder ached from the impact and the weight of the missile launcher, but he kept a firm grip on the weapon. Smoke clouded around him, blocking his view and clouding his camera. 

He coughed to alert Imayoshi to the fact that he was still alive and heard more furious clicking through his earpiece before Imayoshi said, "Small perimeter bombs."

Aomine swore under his breath. That could only mean one thing. Someone else was stationed on _his_ hit. 

"The bullet came from–"

"I know where the fuck it came from," Aomine snapped, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Did you see anything else?"

"Small calibur bullet, rifle shot." Imayoshi sighed. "Whoever it is has perfect aim. If you hadn't turned your head it would've gone straight through the helmet, right into that tiny brain of yours."

Aomine ignored the insult. "Smoke is clearing." Time was against him. He had less than a minute to consider his options and he liked the idea of testing out the missile launcher more than he liked the thought of running away. 

"Target has turned around," Imayoshi informed him. Aomine assumed the explosion had alerted them to the presence at their meeting point. "Doesn't matter what you do now, Aomine."

 _That's what I wanted to hear._ "I can see the window."

"Can you see anyone there?"

"Not sure. That shape might be a body."

"Aomine, you know we aren't allowed to leave witnesses behind."

Aomine grinned. "I know."

There was a beat of silence before Imayoshi said, "Take him out."

"My pleasure." The smoke cleared and Aomine almost caught sight of the man's face as it ducked out of view. His finger brushed the trigger and he added the slightest hint of pressure. His shoulder jerked backward violently as the missile tore from the barrel. The impact was nearly as jarring as the explosion that knocked him off his feet. Debris burst from the window and littered the ground below and once again the air was filled with dark, acrid smoke. Aomine let the missile launcher fall to the ground. His shoulder burned, but he could ignore the pain. He needed hard evidence that he'd obliterated the witness, despite the way the building smoked and burned.

"Find a body, Aomine."

"Yeah, I'm on it."

He kicked open the stubborn warehouse door, creating enough of an opening for him to squeeze through. The staircase to his left remained intact, if a little worse for wear. It creaked and groaned and the metal bent beneath his weight like it wanted to give up and let him fall through, but he made it to the second level without incident. How anything remained functional was a mystery to him. He was surprised there was any ground to walk on, but parts of the second level remained. He had to tread carefully around the massive piece of flooring taken out by the missile, like a giant had taken a bite out of the metal floor. He caught sight of the remains of a few firearms, beaten and battered, charred to barely usable pieces of metal. He kicked at the leg of a table and debris that had fallen over the end shifted, revealing a cracked laptop screen. 

"Oi!"

"I have a name, Aomine," Imayoshi sighed, but pressed on. "Is there anything in the wreckage? Body still intact?"

"No body," he replied, noting the lack of one with a grimace. There would be hell to pay if the Coach found out he'd been seen. "But there's a laptop here. Shit's probably never gonna work again, but–"

"Take it. We can still gather evidence from the remains."

"Thought you'd say that." He shifted his foot forward, nudging more of the debris away from the computer. As he bent to grab at the laptop, a faint gleam in the corner of his eye stole his attention away. His hand closed around the laptop and he dragged it toward him as he leaned to the side to grab at the shimmering object.

His fingers closed around cool metal, an item seemingly untouched by the explosion. He could tell what it was by the feel of it in his hand and he snickered softly to himself. "What kind of assassin uses a pocket knife?"

"One you have to find and take out, Aomine. Now return to the drop point and I'll pick you up. Don't bother with the missile launcher. We need all the time we can get. We have to do some intense research and it needs to start now before the Coach gets wind of what happens. He'll have a few choice words for us when he finds out we not only lost the computer coding, but left a witness alive in the process."

"Like I didn't know that shit already," Aomine grumbled. His thumb brushed across the side of the pocket knife as he took slow, careful steps back toward the stairs. He could feel raised edges in the metal, like something had been engraved on the side. Curious, he brushed away the ashes, giving way to letter after letter.

He nearly toppled down the stairs when he read the full engraving. Drawing in a sharp breath he stared at the knife in his hand, mind reeling. 

"Aomine? What happened?" Imayoshi's voice held a rare hint of concern and confusion. 

"I..." He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He had to be imagining things. His mind had to be offering up a memory in place of the truth. Maybe the explosion was messing with his head. When he opened his eyes the same two words stared back at him. _Beginner's Luck_. "Fuck..."

"What the hell happened?" Wakamatsu finally piped up. 

"Bugs," Aomine replied lamely. "Just... a lot of dead bugs."

Wakamatsu snorted and Aomine didn't even have the will to respond when he said, "Deadliest assassin is afraid of some stupid little bugs. What a fucking loser." 

"Wakamatsu, I suggest you shut up and start driving." Imayoshi's demand was met with more than few choice words from Wakamatsu before his attention returned to Aomine. "We'll be waiting. Bring whatever you find so we can figure out who we're targeting next. This won't be an easy situation to clean up."

Aomine grimaced and pocketed the knife. He didn't need Imayoshi's research to know who'd shot that bullet.

 _Beginner's luck, eh?_ He wasn't sure if he should consider himself lucky or if he needed to take the advice of the marriage therapist.

_"It's okay to confront your partner about important things they're keeping from you. Things that can effect your relationship. No need to start a fight. Just have a conversation."_

Aomine frowned as he made his way out of the warehouse. _That'll be a great conversation to have. Hey babe, the salad tastes great and, oh, I also know you're a fucking assassin. I am too. Wanna talk about that?_ His head fell forward and he ran his palm down the length of his face with a groan of, "Fucking hell."

"You can say that again," came Wakamatsu's response.


	11. Till Death Do Us Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine and Kise have new targets. They need names and faces to go with them. But neither one of them expects to have a target that will not only challenge them in the skills they've honed over the years but test the strength of their hearts as well.
> 
> Art by [dvl](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/) to accompany the fic [here](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/post/116443836866/hello-fellow-dweeb-this-is-for-you-when-it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will begin the chs that are set in the POV of both Aomine and Kise. Up until now, each ch has been set in the same time frame, once from Kise's POV and then from Aomine's. After this, each ch will be with combined POVs. I hope this change doesn't confuse anyone and Hope you all enjoy it! Thank you for reading!
> 
> -V

Kise stood at his kitchen island, a cutting board set out in front of him. He chopped a green onion, his hand swift and skillful with the knife. His laptop was only a few inches away, Kasamatsu's scowling face taking up the entire screen. After his failed mission, Kasamatsu had insisted they all return to the agency to do the research necessary to determine the identity of Kise's next target. But the time was dangerously close to dinner and Kise still had his domestic life to attempt keep in order, even if his other life was slowly falling apart.

"I can't believe you're just standing there chopping onions while the rest of us work on finding out who you have to kill next."

The knife came to a halt as Kise directed his attention at the screen. "You know I would've stayed if I could."

Kasamatsu waved off his unspoken apology. "You can't bail on this one, Kise. Not even for your husband."

Kise nodded and turned away from the camera to grab the hot pan off the stove. He swiped the onions in and placed it back over the flame, intentionally keeping his back to the laptop. He knew he messed up. He should've taken out the other man when he had the chance, explosion or no explosion, but he ran. An unpleasant feeling roiled in the pit of his stomach. If they don't find out who his next target is, or if he can't find the man, he knew he'll be the next target on the list. No amount of camaraderie will keep him safe from the men he worked with every day. 

Maybe then he'd have no choice but to tell Aomine about this side of him. 

"Kobori's been analyzing the footage we captured," Kasamatsu explained as Kise busied himself about the kitchen. "You know he's good with facial features and piecing them together. He's going through every database we have access to. Narrowed it down to a couple hundred results in the first thirty minutes. He's down to less than a hundred now."

"Always did work fast," Kise chuckled. He held back a sigh of relief. Kasamatsu knew him as a stronger man than he felt right then. It isn't his own life he's fearing for now, but Aomine's. If he ended up as the target of his own agency, they won't hesitate to kill anyone close to him to ensure he understood the gravity of his mistake before taking him out. His family had been far removed from his life for years and he doesn't fear for their safety anymore. The only one close to him now was Aomine and, despite his attempts to keep his private life private from every outsider, it would only take them a matter of seconds to find out the name of his husband. 

"If we get a name before the end of the night, I expect him dead by tomorrow morning." Kasamatsu's voice didn't waver. "That gives you time to go to your stupid neighborhood party and spend the rest of the night planning how you'll eliminate him and executing the actual elimination."

"Got it," Kise mumbled in response. He glanced at the clock and turned to face the camera once more. "I have to go. He'll be home in a few minutes and I've still gotta get dinner on the table."

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes and Kise snorted, expecting the response that followed. "Yeah, go put on your fucking apron and wash your hands before dinner so you can play your house husband role. You're just gonna dirty them later."

~~~

He heard the crunch of Aomine's wheels against the driveway before he heard the creak of the front door and the footsteps that followed. He expected Aomine to grunt a hello and head straight for the dining room table as he usually did, but a warmth radiated against his back and Kise found himself leaning against a strong, familiar chest. 

"Daiki," he breathed. 

Aomine's hand came up to turn Kise's face to the side. Kise's eyes were met with a dark, probing gaze. He didn't look away, but he projected his wonder in a raised brow. He felt a heat tingle across his skin from Aomine's touch. He couldn't remember the last time they had stood so close. 

"Ryouta," Aomine whispered in return. His lips brushed against Kise's, the barest hint of a touch before he pulled back. "Dinner smells good," He added before disappearing into the dining room. 

Kise stared at the entryway to the dining area and blinked away his surprise. There was something he saw in Aomine's gaze. Aomine had been searching for something, whether for answers or truth Kise knew not. It unnerved him, set him on edge in a way he couldn't explain. The last thing he needed was to doubt his husband for anything when he was waiting for the answer to a question that could change his life. 

_Who the hell ruined my hit?_

He could hear silverware clinking against plates in the dining room and knew Aomine had started dinner without him. With a sigh, he turned to finish loading the dishwasher with the plates he had used to prepare the meal. He had just grabbed the final plate off the kitchen island when his phone buzzed against the counter surface. He glanced at the phone and saw Kasamatsu's name flash across the screen. He tightened his grip on the plate and reached for the device, swiping his thumb across the screen to bring the message to light. 

The glass plate slipped from his grasp as he read the name that Kasamatsu had sent him. It shattered when it hit the ground, the sound echoing in Kise's ears. 

The text read, _Your target is Aomine Daiki. I'll send the rest of the info via email._

Time seemed to move in slow motion. He could hear the pounding of footsteps against the tiled floor and vaguely heard Aomine's voice, muted like there was a thick wall between them. And there might as well have been. He knew there was something familiar about that confident walk, the way the man had held himself like he could conquer the world with a single shot. It was the same way Aomine walked onto the basketball court because the court was a world that Aomine did rule. Now Kise's world tilted on its side and he fell to his knees, unsteady, staring at the pieces of the shattered plate. 

Sound slowly returned and he heard Aomine say, "Gonna grab a towel for the pieces. Just don't get up or move around."

Kise couldn't find the strength to get up as it was. His thoughts were so jumbled, flitting about his head so quickly it was making him dizzy. Here he thought he'd been living two separate lives when all along they'd been one and the same. He could've told Aomine about the things he'd done. Aomine would have understood.

Now...

"Ryouta, what the fuck are you doing?"

Kise hadn't realized he grabbed a broken piece of plate until a sharp pain nipped at the palm of his hand. He glanced downward. He clutched a pointed piece of glass, the edges biting into his skin as he turned his attention toward Aomine. His eyes fell to the way Aomine's adam's apple jumped as he snapped his name. It would be so easy to lift his hand and press the tip through the smooth skin, the same skin he'd pressed his lips to before. He knew how soft it was, knew the feel of the heartbeat beneath the skin, knew the smell, rich and comforting. 

He dropped the piece to the floor and laughed, shaky and breathless. "I forgot the pieces could be that sharp." He took a deep breath and met Aomine's eyes. "Careful, babe. Don't want you to cut yourself on them."

* * *

 

Aomine fell to his knees and cursed under his breath as he grabbed Kise's hand. For a moment he thought Kise had other intentions for the sharp object. If Kise's agency was as renowned as his own, then it would only be a matter of time before Kise had a name for his new target; Aomine himself. His fingers hovered over the slash that opened the skin of Kise's left palm. He could picture the same gash open wide on that pale neck. All he would have to do is pick up one of those broken, jagged pieces and drag it across the soft, unmarred skin.

"Daiki..."

"Sometimes you're such a goddamn airhead," he sighs and tosses the thought aside. That would make it far too easy. Aomine never did like easy. He grabbed the towel he had brought back for the glass and wrapped it around Kise's hand. "Gotta get this cleaned up before the party. I don't want someone asking stupid questions that make it seem like I did this to you or something."

Kise stared at Aomine, a mixture of confusion and exasperation flitting behind his golden eyes. "I can clean the wound myself if you'll just––"

"Let me do it, baka." Aomine doesn't want to admit it, and he's thankful that he doesn't have to, but he needed this moment. He needed to dote on Kise, to care for him one last time. He knew these moments would live as memories and nothing more. His relationship with Kise would change the moment they drew their weapons and it was only a matter of time before he'd face a blade or the barrel of a gun, possibly for the last time.

"You're such a sap sometimes, Daiki."

Aomine snorted. "Says the one who cries every time we watch Les Misérables."

~~~

"So where are we going again?"

He heard Kise sigh in their master bathroom. “I told you already. Midorimacchi’s sister is getting engaged. Big ballroom type get together.” He could hear the annoyance hot on Kise's tongue. “It wouldn’t kill you to look at the calendar every now and again.”

Aomine snorted. He was changing in the bedroom. Intimacy had long since dissolved from their relationship, so much so that they didn’t even change in the same room anymore. Then again, it was difficult to change in the same room when you didn't want your spouse seeing you holster guns at your waist. Kise had always complained about how he bought his pants a size too big, but he had to make sure the firepower remained concealed and easily accessible.

He assumed Kise favored knives. It was the only explanation for his "beginner's luck" at the fair. He must have quite a handle on knife throwing to have developed such accuracy. He could only imagine how skilled he was now and he vaguely wondered if he used their brief time apart to sheath them in hidden places on his body. Years had passed and Aomine had never seen a single knife. It made him wonder how he kept them concealed when Aomine had seen him in nothing more than his pale, perfect skin. 

Then again, he had his ways of concealing his impressive collection of firearms. They both dabbled in secrets and handled lies just as well.

When Kise came out of the bathroom he gave Aomine a once over and nodded his approval. "I told you that one suited you. You always did look so good in black."

Aomine lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair and stopped when he caught Kise's disapproving gaze. "Right, right. The hair is already done. I'll keep my hands out of it." He dropped his hand to his side and ran his eyes over Kise's body, following the crisp lines of the light gray suit and trying to guess where the knives and other possible weapons were hiding. "You don't look half bad yourself."

Kise's lips twitched. "I never look 'half bad', Daiki."

He had to smile at that one. Kise made anything look good. He could Imayoshi's voice in his head whisper, _One of these days you'll kill someone who even makes death look good._ Aomine had to turn away to hide the way his brow furrowed. His heart stopped at the thought.

"Are you ready?" He didn't have to turn around to know Kise was looking at the clock on their bedside table. "We're already late."

Aomine took and deep breath and headed for the door as he said, "Like I give a shit."

They left in the same car. He could feel Kise's gaze on him the entire drive, but they spoke not a word to one another until they reached the party. It was probably better that way. They were already biding their time and Aomine would have confirmation of his target as soon as the party was in full swing.

~~~

Aomine fixed his tie and smoothed his hands down the silky fabric to make sure the camera he had pinned there was securely in place and not easily noticeable. The earpiece stuck firmly in his right ear hummed and he knew Imayoshi was testing the equipment before he spoke into the microphone. He wouldn't be able to respond verbally. Imayoshi had made some comment about how he'd look like he belonged in a mental hospital if someone caught him talking to himself. Besides, it wasn't like he needed to respond. He just needed to locate the target, with the help of Imayoshi's sight and prior knowledge of the man's appearance, and eliminate him.

He was nervous. He had never been nervous on a job before. But the description of his target was much to close to his heart and he already knew the answer Imayoshi was going to give.

No one knew about his private life at the agency and he intended to keep it that way. This, of course, meant that no one knew about Kise. Imayoshi knew he was married, but he didn't know who wore the other ring. He had intended to keep his married life separate from his dangerous job for more reasons than fearing what Kise would think when he found out he was married to a paid assassin. Enemies were a constant threat and he didn't need their attention turned on the one he'd fallen for.

At least, that's what he told himself until now. Blond hair, golden eyes, lean, athletic build and pale skin––Imayoshi might as well have been describing an image of Kise in one of his magazine spreads and Aomine had already lost all hope when he found the pocket knife in the wreckage he'd left behind.

He had found a spot in the ballroom, that ridiculously large room that Aomine remembered making fun of the first time he'd visited Midorima's house, where he could have the perfect view of the entirety of the dance floor. Finally he heard a sound on the other end of the earpiece and tapped on the camera to let Imayoshi know he could hear.

"Ah, perfect." That silky drawl made Aomine grimace and he shivered as he took a step to the side. If only he could tell Imayoshi not to talk like that, especially right in his ear. "You always do pick the best spots, don't you, Aomine?"

Aomine rolled his eyes and fought the urge to run his fingers through his hair. Kise would surely berate him if he messed up his hair right now.

"Let me see if I can get the zoom on this camera to cooperate." There was a beat of silence before, "There we go. Ah, such lovely neighbors you have, Aomine. Everyone sure knows how to dress for a party, don't they?"

He knew this would happen. Imayoshi was never good at keeping his mouth shut and now he had no reason to stop himself.

"So sharply dressed. Makes me wonder what you decided to wear." Imayoshi chuckled and Aomine cracked his knuckles at his sides. "Alright, alright. I'm sure you're getting impatient. Let me work the camera around for a minute. I have no doubt that he'll be easy to spot in this crowd."

True to his word, Imayoshi fell silent. Aomine scanned the room for any newcomers, hoping for a distraction to catch his eye, but he always managed to find Kise instead. Kise who was smiling and laughing with a group of women. Kise who kept adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, a tick Aomine had only just noticed now. Kise who's eyes kept flickering in his direction and Aomine was almost certain he could sense a wariness that must have been reflected in his own eyes.

_I know what you're gonna say, dammit. Just say it._

"Found him," Imayoshi whispered as though he could be heard by anyone other than Aomine. "Blond hair, gold eyes. No one else fits the bill, Aomine. I'm sure you'll have no trouble spotting him. He's surrounded by women and, really, it should come as no surprise. He's quite the looker." Aomine grimaced. "His name's Kise Ryouta. That famous model who's been on all the recent magazine covers. Bit of a shame you'll have to take down such a pretty face."

The tension and frustration finally got to him. He swore under his breath and yanked the earpiece out of his ear, the camera soon after. He flung the small devices onto the ground and smashed them under his foot before he stomped across the dance floor. Couples darted out of his way as he cut a straight path through their waltz and shoved the gaggle of women aside to grab Kise's wrist, yanking him away.

"Daiki, what are you––"

"We need to talk."

* * *

 

The glances throughout the evening had not gone unnoticed. In fact, Kise caught them all simply because he was doing the same exact thing. After all, there was no one in the ballroom that fit the description of tall, dark and handsome like Aomine did. They even gave him his hair color. No one had hair as dark blue as Aomine's. No one's skin was perfectly sun-kissed, their body so toned; perfect athletic build. Kise hadn't needed the description. Not after he was given the name.

He wanted express confirmation that Aomine knew too, but the stolen glances, the way he fidgeted with the waist of his pants like he itched to draw a gun, the way he kept adjusting his tie and rubbing his neck as a nervous tick Kise had picked up over the years were all dead giveaways. Aomine knew something and it was Kise's job to make sure he wasn't able to tell anyone about it.

Kise had expected confrontation, but he let himself be stupid enough to assume that Aomine might have enough tact to save it for when they arrived home.

Now Aomine had Kise pinned against the wall in one of the empty hallways he had dragged him into, a gun pressed below his ribcage as he hissed against his ear. “Blond hair, fair skin, golden eyes.” Kise hissed as Aomine jabbed the gun harder against him. “Here I thought they were talking about my husband, but instead they were talking about my next target.”

"Funny how things turn out, eh, Aominecchi?" Kise smirked and lifted his right hand, free of the pressure of Aomine’s grip. The spring-loaded sheath released the weapon into the palm of his hand and he pressed the blade against Aomine’s throat. "I thought there would be someone else here with dark skin and hair a color as deep as the night sky." He dragged the blade up Aomine’s neck, listening to the way the metal scraped against that smooth, dark skin. "Midorimacchi wouldn’t want us to make a mess at his sister’s party."

"Do you think I give a shit?"

"I think you know that both of us could cause some fatal damage and a public arena isn't an option." Kise tapped his fingers against the hilt of the blade. "If I'm right in assuming your orders are the same as mine...." He pressed the knife a little harder against Aomine's throat and heard a soft rumble of a growl in response. "Then I know they also include to take me out quietly, under the radar, if you will. You see, I have the advantage for that here. Your pulse under my knife, no sound. It would be so easy."

Kise felt Aomine shift against his body, pressing their lower halves together so he could feel the hard press of another concealed weapon. “I’ve always been faster than you, Ryouta," Aomine growled. "Don’t test me.”

"Pretty hard down there, Aominecchi," Kise commented. "Wonder what you’re packing."

A smirk spread across Aomine's lips. “You know as well as I do.”

Kise shook his head. “I know it’s a gun,” he retorted, pressing the tip of the blade against Aomine’s throat and drawing a sliver of blood. “Haven’t felt anything that hard in almost a year.”

"Ryouta…" Aomine growled in warning, tilting his head back to avoid putting potentially fatal pressure on the blade. "Is that’s even your real name?"

"Daiki," Kise echoed, pressing the his palm against Aomine’s cheek, the flat of the blade cool against his skin. "I could ask you the same thing."

Kise heard a faint sound behind them and he extended his fingers to conceal the weapon. He registered Aomine's confusion with a twitch of his lips before a cheerful smile spread across his face. He cast a glance to the side to find Midorima standing in the doorway that lead to the hall they occupied.

"Keep your hands to yourselves while your here, nanodayo," he muttered, adjusting his glasses before turning away. "If you start any unwanted trouble, I will have you both kicked out."

"Maaa, Midorimacchi," Kise’s voice rose to that obnoxiously cheerful octave. He could put on that mask as easily as he could deliver a silent, but deadly blow with that knife. "I just can’t help myself. My Aominecchi looks _so_ good in a suit.” He earned a tut of disapproval in response and echoed the sound with a melodious laugh. “Give me five more minutes and I promise we’ll come back out there and behave.”

Midorima left and Kise pulled his knife back. He relaxed his body and leveled a threatening gaze at Aomine. There was no sparkle in those eyes, only the dull haze of apathy and danger. He had been in the business for years and, as much as it pained him to have to show this side to Aomine, it pained him more to know that they had both lied to one another. What part of their marriage had been real?

"For the sake of keeping up appearances," Kise gestured between them before nodding toward the door that would lead them back to their forced socialization. "I’ll keep everything to myself until we’re home."

Aomine took a careful step back and put the safety back on his gun before holstering it and adjusting the waist of his bottoms. “I won’t hold back, Ryouta,” he warned. “I don’t take my job lightly.”

Kise had already turned away, but he paused with a hand on the doorknob to whisper, “Neither do I, Daiki.” He glanced over his shoulder, lips spreading into a wide grin. “Besides, it’s been too long. I need someone to light a fire in me.”

As he slowly closed the door behind him, he heard Aomine whisper in response. “Till death do us part, eh, Ryouta?”

~~~

Socializing became a chore. His body was on an adrenaline high and he was acutely aware of Aomine's presence in the room as soon as he returned. His skin tingled everywhere Aomine had touched and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt that. It wasn't the same tingle he felt when they first met, that spark that had their hands roaming everywhere, their lips forever connected.

This spark made his heart race. This spark made his palms sweat. He told himself he shouldn't get so excited. He was given a target and his job wasn't to challenge him to a light sparring match. A spar would have to end with a fatality and Kise knew he shouldn't be this excited about having to kill his husband.

It wasn't the fact that Aomine had to die that he found so thrilling. For years he had been doing this job with little to no effort on his part. He'd gotten banged up a few times when his targets had been a little more observant than he gave them credit for, but never had he been given the chance to really work.

Judging the from the way Aomine held a gun, like it was an extension of his hand and not just a firearm, was enough proof to show Kise that he had just as much experience, if not more. This wouldn't be a simple hit and run. Kise might have to run him over a few times just to make sure he'd leave some roadkill behind.

"Kise-kun, can you show use some of your poses?"

Kise blinked and turned his attention to the flock of women that had gathered around him. They all looked so hopeful, with their pink cheeks and soft smiles. Kise sighed internally and flashed a dazzling smile. "Ladies, it wouldn't be fair for you to get a free photo shoot when everyone else has to pay me for them." A collective whine of protest rose around him and he curled his hands into fists at his sides. "Besides, I'm here with me husband," He lifted his left hand and flashed a ring at them. "Pretty sure he wouldn't allow any of you a private show and he's within his rights to say no."

"You're married, Kise-kun? But none of the magazines said anything about it."

Kise's lips twitched and he took a step back so he could look over their heads to find Aomine in the crowd. "Yeah, I'm married." He smirked and grabbed a glass of champagne off the table behind him, raising it in a mock toast in Aomine's direction. "Till death do us part."


	12. Let's Play a Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise and Aomine can only keep up appearances for so long. Soon Midorima's party will end and they'll have to play the first pieces in their dangerous game. But Kise doesn't play fair and Aomine, in turn, has no intention of doing so either. It doesn't help that they struggle with emotional turmoil every step of the way.

After Kise left, Aomine pressed his forehead against the wall and waited for his heartbeat to slow to a reasonable tempo. He couldn't deny the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, but he also couldn't deny the fear that set his nerves ablaze. He knew he'd stupidly been hanging on to the hope that finding Kise's pocket knife had been nothing more than cruel coincidence, but he could still feel the way the cool metal blade had pressed against his throat. He could still hear Kise's voice drop to a threatening timbre and he cursed the way his nose still tingled from the frustrating smell of lavender Kise left behind. 

Fighting the urge to slam his fist against the wall, he finally gave in to his deep-seated urge to run his fingers through his hair. It didn't matter what Kise thought of it anymore. It wasn't like he'd use his last breath to reprimand Aomine for messing it up. He stepped away from the wall and adjusted his pants to ensure his firearm remain as hidden as it had been when they first arrived. He can still remember a time when pulling Kise to a separate room during a party would result in him adjusting his pants for a very different reason. 

With thoughts of the past pushed aside, he stepped back out into the ballroom, eyes immediately seeking out Kise. It took only a second to locate him, surrounded by his usual gaggle of women. Aomine retreated to the farthest corner, desperate to avoid further interaction while they were surrounded by so many people who knew them. Kise was right, after all. A public arena wasn't ideal and Imayoshi would reprimand him for drawing this much attention to himself. 

Kise already directed more attention at him when he raised a glass in a mock toast. Even from a distance he could see the way those pale pink lips curled upward. He could see the way the challenge shimmered in his eyes. He scowled and fought the urge to give Kise his own version of a toast, one that involved a single finger instead of a glass, and averted his eyes. 

Imayoshi had always joked about how one day Aomine would find himself a target that wouldn't be so easy to kill. If he had ever said that target would be his husband, Aomine would have called his bluff. Now here he was, standing in the corner of Midorima's stupid ballroom, trying not to think about what would happen when they returned home. What he thought he could trust about Kise had crumbled in a matter of minutes and Aomine had to be on his toes now even more than when they first started dating.

A sigh slipped from his lips as he watched the couples flit about the ballroom, wrapped in one another's arms. He could hear their laughter, see their smiles and the way the depth of their affection was visible in a single glance. That had been him once, hadn't it? That had been Kise too. But the way they had stared each other down mere minutes ago could only be described as fierce and predatory. Their relationship had gone from a envied love story to a recreation of the most dangerous game. 

Seeing the rest of his neighbors recreate what he knew he'd already lost was getting to be too much. His hands clenched into fists and his eyes slowly traveled back to the corner where––

Kise was no longer in sight.

Aomine's eyes widened and swept across the ballroom, desperate to capture a flash of that silky blond hair. Kise was no where to be found.

_Fuck..._

With little regard to those around him, he shoved his way through the crowd. Midorima stood near the opposite corner of the ballroom, observing his sister and her new fiancé from what he would likely call a respectable distance. His eyes narrowed as he watched Aomine approach, most likely reprimanding him in his head for the aggressive way he stomped across the dance floor. 

"Oi, Midorima." Aomine came to abrupt halt. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he could feel a tension running through his veins that wasn't there before. He didn't want his back turned to the dance floor lest Kise pop up behind him, but he needed to keep up the pretense that he was just another neighbor, just another guest at the party. "Have you seen Ryouta? Kinda lost track of him and we gotta get going soon. Got shit to do and––"

"He did not tell you?" Midorima asked, cutting him off in a manner quite unlike his usual polite self.

Aomine bristled. "Tell me what?" 

"He left." Midorima glanced at the door that opened to the hallway leading to the front door. "He informed me that something came up at work. Apparently he has a lot of... clean up to do. Or so he says."

Aomine's lips thinned and his brow twitched. "Clean up," he repeated. "What could he possibly need to clean––"

Pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place in his head. He should have seen this coming. He should have known that Kise would take advantage of Aomine's bad habit of retreating into his head whenever he received information that knocked him off kilter. He might not have voiced many of his thoughts aloud, but Kise knew him better than he knew himself and would have anticipated the whirlwind of memories and debates that Aomine would likely have with himself. 

"Shit, I gotta go then," he finally said, taking a step back as he rummaged in his pocket for his cell phone. 

"Do you need a ride?" Midorima's brow rose. "Ryouta took your car."

"Ryouta took my car..." Aomine deadpanned. His stomach churned as he took another step back and shook his head. "No. We live close enough and Ryouta would say I need the fucking exercise anyway."

He darted out the door before Midorima could insist on the ride. The last thing he needed to do was pull their Oha Asa obsessed friend into the crossfire. 

His cell phone screen lit up, Kise's name bright and taunting. He cursed under his breath and swiped his thumb across the screen. "Ryouta," he breathed as he pressed the phone to his ear. He was already running, leaping over bushes and dodging trees as he crossed through open yards to cut down the time it would take to get home. He knew he wouldn't beat Kise, but he hoped he'd get there before he really got down to "cleaning up".

"Daiki," Kise whispered back, his voice like silk, smooth to touch, but catching on all the scars that marred his skin. "That was rude of me to leave you behind, wasn't it?"

"Ya think?" Aomine snapped, ducking his head to avoid hitting a low hanging branch. "Midorima said something came up at work."

"Oh, it did," Kise replied and Aomine could almost imagine the way his hand waved dismissively in the air, like he didn't want to discuss it. "I was asked to do a little clean up. Plenty of unnecessary things to get rid of."

"Fuck, Ryouta," Aomine grit his teeth as he turned the corner. Only a few more blocks, he told himself. "Please don't fucking crash the car or anything. I love that car. It's got nothing to do with this."

"Daiki." Kise laughed and the sound made Aomine shiver. He's heard so many of Kise's laughs over the years, but this is the first time he's ever wanted to silence one. "I love this car just as much as you do." There was a pause and Aomine assumed Kise was running his fingers across the dashboard the same way he had when they first bought the car. "I'd never hurt the car."

Aomine held back the sigh of relief that built in the back of his throat. "The car is innocent," he added for emphasis. 

"I won't deny that," Kise replied. The longer Kise paused the more apprehensive Aomine felt. Sweat rolled down his back and down the side of his face, down his neck. He could blame it on the exertion, on running all the way home from Midorima's, but he knew better. "But there's plenty of other things to clean up, Daiki. Like..." Another pause to make Aomine's skin crawl. "That tool shed of yours. It must be a mess. I've been thinking about getting rid of a lot of those 'tools'. Don't really have a need for them when we're never home to use them, right?"

"Oh, shit. Ryouta, don't you dare––"

"Goodbye, Daiki."

"Ryouta, wait––" 

Kise hung up before Aomine could protest further. He cursed at his phone and dialed Kise's cell again, but his call went straight to voicemail. He should've known Kise would turn his phone off. His grip on his phone tightened and he forced himself to slide it back into his pocket, resisting the urge to smash it into the ground. His tool shed was his primary hiding place for his impressive collection of firearms. He always retreated into the tool shed before he left for a hit. He didn't know Kise was observant enough to notice that. 

He didn't want to know what Kise would do to "clean up". He'd spent years amassing his collection, years polishing every inch of firepower he'd stored. They had become valuable assets in his line of work and, as deadly as he could be with his hands alone, he always fell back on the extra protection of a handgun or a well-oiled rifle. 

As he turned the corner onto their street, he noticed that the car was still parked in the driveway. His eyes scanned the exterior. After acquiring the new knowledge about his husband, he didn't trust him not to do damage to the car. He slowed as he approached, taking careful steps around the vehicle in case Kise left him any explosive surprises. After all, it was an explosion that brought to light the knowledge of Kise's other life. 

He let loose the breath he'd been holding when he found no scratches on the car and saw nothing that would concern him inside. Leaving the car behind, he crept around the back of the house to eye the tool shed. The door was wide open and the light was on inside. He watched for any signs of a shadow, any glimpse of a body in the small window framed on the side facing him. He craned his neck hoping his ears would pick up any sound that would alert him to Kise's presence, but he heard nothing. He saw nothing. 

He barely made a sound as he moved across the lawn. Even the grass was silent as it brushed across the smooth leather of his dress shoes. He pressed his back against the side of the tool shed just beside the door. His handgun was already gripped at his side, finger poised over the trigger. Despite the stormy confusion that plagued his mind, he knew he wouldn't hesitate to take the first shot. He never did like losing a hit. 

Taking a deep breath, he whipped himself inside the shed, arm extended with the gun steadily pointed at the center of the room. Kise was no where inside, but the place was far from empty. He grimaced as his eyes took in the mess that littered the floor. The secret door that he'd built underneath the heavy mat on the floor was left open, but he didn't need to glance inside to know his treasure trove was empty. His precious collection littered the floor at his feet, each one meticulously taken apart and left in pieces. Every single one was scattered upon the floor, over the tables where he "worked", mixed with the actual tools he'd bought to hide the real instruments he worked with day in and day out.

"Shit..." Aomine took slow steps around the carefully crafted chaos. Kise did quite a number on his collection, but he made one mistake. Aomine knew how to assemble a gun as easily as he could shoot a basket. It would take time–time he probably didn't have–but as long as he had the pieces he still had a chance. 

He leaned against the table at the far end of the room and pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing the next closest number to Kise's speed dial. 

The answer was instantaneous. "Aomine."

"Oi, Imayoshi," He ran his hand down his face and sighed. "I have something to tell you about this new hit of mine."

* * *

 

"I've never picked you up at home before. Why did you let me now?"

Kise pressed his forehead against the window as Kasamatsu drove them back to the agency. His mind was still reeling, even after what he'd done to Aomine's precious toys back home. He'd left a mess behind on purpose to show Aomine that he had no intention of playing fair. After all, life wasn't fair. He believed that even more now. He'd been dealt his cards and hadn't even realized the joker had been laying in wait; the highest trump to every misfortune he'd ever been dealt. He'd fallen for an assassin. 

"Guess it just didn't matter if you knew where I lived anymore," Kise replied. He lifted his hand to swirl his fingers through the fog his breath had left upon the window. "My lives have become one and the same."

Kasamatsu's silence stretched on until they pulled into the garage at the agency. He maneuvered the car into his spot near the door and killed the engine. Only then did he say, "What the hell does that mean, Kise?"

In the fogged up glass Kise had written a name. He tapped his finger just below each letter and said, "Aomine Daiki." Kasamatsu stared, but said nothing. "You sent me this name in a text earlier."

Kasamatsu nodded. "Your hit. I'm assuming you haven't had the chance to take him out yet."

Kise let out a dry laugh. "I've only played my first piece, senpai. Gotta give me time to win the game."

"What the hell are you getting at, Kise?"

"Did I ever tell you my married name? The name I got when this ring appeared on my finger?" He held up his left hand and wiggled his fingers at Kasamatsu. With a shake of his head, Kasamatsu sighed. Kise could tell he was putting the pieces together, but he continued. "Aomine Ryouta," he whispered. "I married Aomine Daiki five years ago. I thought he was nothing more than an aspiring basketball player, soon to be famous one. And he thought I was nothing more than a model."

"So your next hit is your husband." It wasn't a question and Kise knew it. Kasamatsu wore no expression of pity. He didn't even try to empathize with Kise. He knew this hit was different, but he also wasn't willing to jeopardize their agency for the sake of Kise's heart. "You've both been lying to each other about this for your entire relationship. This should be easy then. You don't even know what else he's been lying to you about, Kise. It'll be a challenge because he's a seasoned assassin, unlike every other hit you've had before. But that shouldn't stop you completing your task. You've only got 36 hours left."

Kise nodded. "I know how much time I have." He'd been counting down the hours since he'd been given the new hit. He had never wanted time to stop so badly before. 

"We'll get you suited up," Kasamatsu said as he pushed open the door. "Get you some weapons and then send you on your way. I'm not losing my best because of some fucked up love story."

The car door slammed and Kise watched Kasamatsu disappear through the doors. He remained in the car, staring at the dashboard. Since when had the world been so hell bent on knocking him down? He closed his eyes and pictured the dangerous look in Aomine's eyes. They were a mirror image of his own; the dull, apathetic eyes of a killer. He knew Aomine had seen it as they threatened each other's vitality.

But then they had made their way into the ballroom to force feed themselves the necessary socialization to keep up their appearances and he'd read a different story in Aomine's eyes. There was the fierce flame of a challenge, one he was well-accustomed to from the numerous years of pitting competitive natures against one another, but beneath that flame he'd seen a pinprick of confusion, and maybe even a glimmer of hurt. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He could still taste Aomine's lips against his own from the chaste kiss they had shared in the kitchen only a few hours ago, but he could also taste the truth in Aomine's words when he said he wouldn't hold back. He'd felt the surety in Aomine's steady hand as he pressed the gun into his ribcage, his life only a finger pull away from ending. So where did the hurt fit into the equation?

Frustrated and confused, Kise shoved the door open. Each step he took steeled his resolve. Aomine had no qualms about putting a bullet in his body, of that he was certain. The hurt was inevitable on both ends. A five year marriage was nothing to scoff at, but neither was the fact that death was inescapable. One of them had to die by their hands, or both of them would die by someone else's. 

He slipped in the elevator and hit the button for every floor. It was the only way he'd get all the way to the top, a floor that didn't even exist in the numbers given. As the elevator lurched upward, Kise grabbed the rail and stared at his reflection. He watched his eyes flood with the determination he'd been suppressing since he'd seen Aomine's name on his screen. He wouldn't allow himself to lose to Aomine again. This wasn't a simple one-on-one. The stakes weren't as low as paying for sushi if he lost. They were betting with their lives and Kise would be damned if he didn't throw in the winning shot this time.

~~~

"Took you long enough to get up here," Kasamatsu commented, his eyes glued to the screen. "You might want to see this."

Kise crossed the room in a few swift strides and peered at the camera feed over Kasamatsu's shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar face in one of the elevators.

"Looks like your husband has come to pay us a visit."

Aomine stared at the numbers in the elevator, no doubt looking for the floor Kise was likely to be on. Kise assumed he wasn't aware of the extra floors at the top. In all actuality, this was his modeling agency. It was the Coach's idea for them to take up residency at the top of the skyscraping building. He believed that people they could consider enemies would never suspect them to be there. After all, models weren't assassin material, the Coach would say. Kise would fight the urge to roll his eyes and he'd have to hold his tongue. It wouldn't do to remind the Coach that his greatest assassin was also one of the most famous models in the industry.

Kise took a step forward and ran his fingers over the keyboard. "Do you still have them installed?"

Kasamatsu's brow quirked. "The gas cylinders? They're still there, but I don't know how potent they'll be anymore. They've never been touched."

That was all the information Kise needed. He reached forward and pressed the light green button; the description beneath it read 'intercom'. 

"Daiki." His voice dropped to a predatory purr. "I didn't expect a visit from you. I thought you might have your work cut out for you after the little mess I'd left behind."

He watched as Aomine lifted his head, eyes searching for the camera. When he finally found where he suspected it to be, which happened to be exactly where it was situated, he smirked and blew Kise a kiss. "I was kinda disappointed after that party, Ryouta."

"Disappointed?"

Aomine shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I was hoping for an after party or something, but you ran off. Always did have a knack for disappearing when the fun was about to start."

Kise's lips twitched. "You always did have too much stamina, Daiki."

"Never seemed to bother you," Aomine replied, running his fingers through his hair so slowly it had to be deliberate. "It's a trait you always complimented when it left you breathless."

"When being the key word, Daiki, because it's been quite some time since you stole my breath away."

"Never too late to try again."

Kise laughed. A part of him ached to find out just how breathless Aomine could leave him now that they knew one another's secrets, but the rational part of him hissed the reminder that it could never happen again. Unless they played a game of cat and mouse and the chase left him out of breath, but victorious. He might consider allowing him to try if that were the case. "I think it's my turn to take your breath away, Daiki. You see, you walked right into a trap. And here I thought this wouldn't be easy."

Aomine took a step back and gestured to himself. "Baby, I'm never easy."

* * *

 

Kise's huff of frustration didn't go unnoticed. Aomine was having too much fun with their banter to stop now. He'd found out about the location of Kise's agency through Imayoshi's impressive research skills. It hadn't taken him long to deduce that his modeling agency was more than meets the eye. There were unnumbered floors at the top, he'd noticed after meticulously pouring over blueprints and images of the building itself, and he came to the conclusion that those floors were set aside for a reason. He'd given Aomine the information after he'd frustratingly learned that Kise had stolen a piece from each of his guns, leaving them virtually useless and impossible to piece back together. 

If Kise wanted to play dirty, then Aomine would gladly oblige. 

"I already know what's in this elevator, Ryouta."

"Do you?" Kise's taunting voice came through the speaker, followed by a snort of amusement. "Then why don't you tell me."

"I'm not positive," he began, gesturing toward the corner behind him. "But I saw these tiny ass vents in the wall, small enough for some kind of steam to slip through. They don't let you smoke in these fancy ass buildings, so they weren't smoker friendly holes. I'm guessing you've set up some toxic security, probably in the form of a gas, right?"

Silence filled the elevator and his smirk widened. Kise was observant, but Aomine didn't let things slip by him either. He could almost see the scowl on Kise's face, bordering on one of his signature pouts. 

"It doesn't matter that you know what it is," Kise finally said and he could hear the petulant disappointment in his voice. He thought he'd had the upper hand, but Aomine had taken away his trump card. "It's still toxic and I can, and will, still release it."

"You will?" Aomine parroted, cocking his head to the side. "Thought you said you didn't want things to be easy."

He heard Kise snort in response and heard other voices in the background, just loud enough for him to make out the fact that they were readying the gas. "Just because I didn't want it to be easy doesn't mean I won't take advantage of the resources at the my disposal, Daiki."

"How boring." He feigned a yawn and crossed his arms over his chest. "Might as well nap in here if you wanna be such a dull little shit. I was hoping for a real challenge."

"You're not immortal, Daiki," Kise snapped. "Even you can't breathe in poisonous gas and live."

"I survived being married to you, didn't I? A little poison gas is nothing compared to that."

"Fuck you," Kise replied. He could hear the way he tried to keep his voice flat and emotionless, but Aomine could hear it shake with the effort. "You've got till the count of five, Daiki. One."

"Isn't it a bit childish to count down, Ryouta?"

"Two."

"Not even gonna say your goodbyes?"

It might have been a childish request of his own, but he wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear Kise say goodbye in a way that would make him feel like he meant it. Maybe then he could finally resign himself to the truth of their situation.

"Why should I?"

"Four years is a good chunk of time, Ryouta."

"Five, Daiki. Five years."

Aomine chuckled and the corners of the elevator began to hiss.

* * *

 

The camera feed disappeared as the elevator swiftly filled with the noxious gas. Kise slammed his hands against the table, eyes wide and incredulous. He whipped his head around, searching the room for the culprit.

"Who the hell pressed the button?" No one answer until Kise slammed his hand against the table again, making them all flinch. " _Who the hell pressed it?_ "

"Well you did say five," Moriyama finally spoke up.

Kise cursed under his breath and pulled up the location of Aomine's elevator. It had stopped on the eighteenth floor. He flung himself around and jerked his arm out of Kasamatsu's grasp when he tried to stop him. He was in the elevator in a matter of seconds and down on the eighteenth floor not even a minute later. He pried open the elevator door, keeping a hand firmly pressed over his nose and mouth. When the doors finally fully opened he stepped back to survey the damage to Aomine's body.

But the elevator was empty. There was no lingering gas and nothing to indicate that there had been anyone inside. Kise stumbled back and hit the wall with a soft gasp. His knees gave out and he lowered himself to the floor. Before his mind could fully process the image before him, his phone went off in his pocket, indicating that he had received a text message.

He pulled the device out and glanced at the screen, Aomine's name flashing before his eyes. The text read, _Was that supposed to be goodbye, Ryouta? Might want to try again._


	13. I Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is still ticking. Aomine and Kise have given it too much leeway to dwindle away and now they're getting down to the nitty gritty. It's time for one of them to take the initiative, to finally give in and pull the trigger, but memories threaten to splinter their resolve. Can they resist the clutches of nostalgia and finish the job?

Aomine stepped out of the elevator as the doors slowly opened before him. Smoke billowed out into the hall and he waved a hand in front of his face to clear his field of vision. It wasn't unpleasant to breathe in; not the noxious smoke he'd been promised. Then again, when he replaced the poisonous cylinders with the insulated ones often used in fog machines, he wasn't expecting anything life threatening. But he had to admit, hearing Kise's voice, unwavering and determined, gave him something to think about.

Was he hoping for hesitation?

He wasn't sure anymore. Both of them had claimed they had no intention of giving in and, while Aomine was more than exhilarated for the challenge Kise would bring, he found himself giving everything a second thought. Where before he would have pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation, now his finger twitched to a halt just before reaching that fatal pressure that would give sound and motion to his much needed resolve. It was the quiver of uncertainty in his determination that made him give in to the morbid curiosity. He had to know if Kise struggled with the same uncertainty. 

"He really meant to kill me," Aomine muttered to himself as he turned toward the empty elevator with a frown.

"Did you expect any less?"

Aomine drew his gun with a start, leveling the barrel at Imayoshi's face. 

Imayoshi didn't flinch. "I asked you a question, Aomine." He took a step forward until the gun was pressed against his forehead. "Did you expect any less?"

His grip on the gun faltered when he recognized Imayoshi and he let his arms fall to his sides. "No," He admitted with a shake of his head. "From Ryouta? He's not the type to give up. Too damn stubborn and prideful for that."

Imayoshi eyed the smoking elevator. His lips twitched and he took a step forward, waving the smoke away from his face as he glanced inside. "Impressive work," he commented, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm assuming you did a fair bit of re-wiring so the camera feed they received would come from here." Aomine nodded and holstered his gun. "Did some re-wiring for the audio too. Otherwise he wouldn't have heard you and your cover would have been blown. You even found a way to get the smoke to release when the button was pushed. You must have completely disabled the poisonous ones to get that to work."

"I touch all bases, Imayoshi." The snort in response made him scowl and protest. "I do, you bastard."

"When it's important to you," Imayoshi corrected. He took a deep breath and tapped his fingers against the door. "And they were quick release fog cylinders." He smirked at Aomine over his shoulder. "Not bad." He waved his hand dismissively back at Aomine. "Shame you can't see the expression on his face. I'm guessing you sent him some smug little message about his failure."

He couldn't deny that truth. "It'll drive him crazy trying to find out how I did it." 

Imayoshi finally stepped back into the hall and stood beside Aomine, watching the rest of the fog clear away. "And you just _love_ to drive him crazy, don't you?"

Aomine scowled. "Shut up."

"Tell me, Aomine." Imayoshi dipped his head in a way that left a glare across his glasses, shielding his eyes from view. "You won't allow anything to compromise this hit, correct? Because I will not lose my best assassin to some tragic devotion you're desperately clinging to. He's no longer your husband, Aomine. He's your target."

Aomine clenched his fists at his sides and grit his teeth. Imayoshi allowed a silence to stretch between them, and Aomine knew he was waiting for the right answer. He just had to say the words that Imayoshi wanted to hear.

"Yeah," he replied, voice steady, unwavering despite the way his heart clenched. "He's dead to me."

~~~

He followed Imayoshi out of the building, his eyes darting in every direction, ever wary of his surroundings. While he knew that the shock might leave Kise temporarily paralyzed, he wasn't about to jump to that conclusion and assume he was safe. If Kise was as serious as he claimed he was then he'd save his questions for later and pursue Aomine right then and there. 

However, the coast remained clear. No one followed as they exited the building and no one seemed to have damaged their car, nor were they standing guard to take them out. He didn't like the lack of presence, but Imayoshi continued on as if this were normal. Imayoshi was usually much more paranoid than Aomine. 

"Get in," Imayoshi ordered, unlocking the car and slipping into the driver's seat. 

Aomine hesitated, taking one more look around before he heard Imayoshi tap against the passenger side window. With a sigh, he opened the door and slid in beside him. He'd much rather drive himself, but Imayoshi had been insistent when he'd pulled the car up in front of Aomine before heading over to set Kise up. 

"We're having a meeting," Imayoshi told him, his eyes never leaving the road. 

"I don't need to go to the goddamn meetings right now, Imayoshi," Aomine grumbled, dragging his palm down his face. "If I don't finish this soon then it won't matter anymore. Not like I'll be alive to attend them, so––"

"You're going to the meeting, Aomine." Imayoshi's tone left no room for argument and Aomine clenched his fists at his sides. 

"I just told you that––"

"We're meeting with the Coach. All of us."

Aomine stared at him. Meetings with the Coach were such rarities that even he'd only been to two in his entire career; two meetings in a total of almost ten years. The Coach never wanted to be seen. He knew he was training humans weapons, utilizing their unique strengths in ways that bordered on illegal. He also knew that, as much as he trained them to be obedient, any dog could bite the hand of its master. He rarely ever showed his face and Aomine couldn't say he blamed the man for cherishing his anonymity. Even though he'd been one of the privileged few who'd seen him he could barely remember what he looked like and he'd never be able to pick him out in a crowd. 

"For what?"

"If I knew, do you think I'd tell you?"

Aomine sighed and turned to glance out the window. He watched the urban blur into the rural, trees lining his vision as they turned off of a main road and onto a long winding path that lead them far into a forest preserve.

"No," he replied softly. "You wouldn't tell me shit."

He didn't expect an answer, but he saw Imayoshi's fingers flex around the steering wheel in the reflection of the window. "If I knew..." he repeated, raising goosebumps along Aomine's skin.

* * *

 

"Kise."

Kise flinched at the sound of his name. Kasamatsu had never called him by his first name, even when Kise got married and asked that he do so. Kasamatsu had refused. Kise remembered him saying that the relationship wouldn't last and, even if it did, it was nothing more than a mask, no more real than the smile he wore in front of his fans. He had always shrugged it off as Kasamatsu's apathy and complete disregard for a life outside of staining his hands with blood. Now it made Kise wonder, had he ever really been Aomine Ryouta?

"Get up," Kasamatsu demanded, bending to hook his hand under Kise's arm to drag him to his feet.

Kise felt solid ground beneath him and leaned against the wall with a shake of his head. He could still see every word of the text in his head. Aomine was still alive and Kise had no idea how he did it. He knew for a fact that this was the elevator where the camera feed came from. This is where the audio came and went and he distinctly remembered this being the elevator where he set up the gas tanks years ago.

"Come on," Kasamatsu urged him. "We have to get going."

His head slowly lolled to the side. Kasamatsu's frown wasn't deterring his mind from racing through the possibilities. He needed answers and he needed them now. "Senpai, Daiki is still alive."

"I know."

Kise blinked. "You know?"

"Looked into it the moment you bolted from the room like the sentimental asshole that you are."

"I'm not––" Kise scowled and shoved himself away from the wall, running his hands down his thighs to rid them of the sweat that made his palms feel clammy. "How do you know he's alive?"

"It wasn't hard to track the location of the audio and video feed, Kise." Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. He'd been working with the agency far longer than Kise and his skills were wide ranged and deadly in every aspect. "I didn't think to check when you were talking to him because it didn't occur to me that he would go to those lengths just to test you. Guess I was wrong."

There aren't many things Aomine could do that would surprise Kise. After five years of marriage, he knew all his quirks, all his likes and dislikes, he knew his mind inside and out. Then again, the man he knew was the Aomine who married him. He knew the guy who had loved basketball since he could walk and could play like a pro before he even reached his pre-teens. He knew the guy who would watch musicals with him, even if he was just humoring Kise's obsession, just so he could play with Kise's hair and run his mouth along Kise's neck to distract him. He knew the man who could whisper sweet nothings one second, and leave him quaking with need the next. He knew the Aomine who wanted nothing more than to come home, eat dinner, and collapse on the couch because he honestly didn't want to do the laundry when Kise asked him to. That Aomine would never play such a cruel trick on Kise. But the Kise he'd never play a trick on was another person as well. 

"Guess I was wrong too," Kise muttered, pulling his fingers through his hair. "So fill me in," He opted for changing the subject before memories clouded his judgment and gave rise to second thoughts he wasn't willing to have. 

"After finding out what happened with Aomine, I did some quick research on his agency." Kasamatsu took a step back, indicating with a wave of his hand for Kise to follow, before heading down the hallway. "It appears they have some meeting to go to far out in the middle of goddamn no where." Kasamatsu glanced at Kise and added, "All of them are going."

It took only a few seconds for Kise to understand. With a small gasp, he nodded his head and said, "But wait, do you know where––"

"Already found that out too." Kasamatsu smirked to himself. He was generally a humble guy, but he was also well-aware of his prowess and sometimes that awareness showed. "The building isn't too far from here, if you can believe it. It's got a hell of a security system, but I think I can crack it with a little bit of time. I already broke down some digital walls, just need to knock down a few more and I can plant our seeds in the system to get us in."

Kise couldn't help but grin. "Senpai, you really are useful sometimes."

Kasamatsu's hand connected with the back of Kise's head, sending him stumbling forward. "Shut up, you brat," He turned the corner and flagged down the core members of their team. "C'mon guys. We've got some breaking and entering to do."

* * *

 

The car ride after the meeting was considerably quieter, tension like an electric current running through the air. Aomine kept his gaze resolutely trained out the window, and he could see Imayoshi's unwavering eyes on the road in the reflection. Sakurai was in the backseat, wringing his hands together. Aomine could hear it, the way his knuckles popped and the scrape of his skin against his pants as he tried to wipe the sweat from his palms. Wakamatsu sat beside him, taking up more space than was necessary, but even he was quiet, pensive.

The silence was grating, leaving Aomine with clenched fists and a bad taste in his mouth. "Someone just say it, for fucks sake."

He could practically feel the way Sakurai flinched in the backseat, but he wasn't about to stammer some apology. Even he knew the way things worked in their agency. 

"Aomine, man, we didn't know the meeting was going to be about––"

"Does it fucking matter?" Aomine chanced a glance over his shoulder and he caught a glimpse of something he never wanted to see in Wakamatsu's eyes. Was it pity? He grit his teeth. "I knew it would be one of you. Figured the four-eyes would be the smartest choice."

Imayoshi broke the tension with a low chuckle. "The four-eyes," he mused aloud. "I haven't heard that one in a while, Aomine. And here I thought you had all these creative nicknames in your arsenal."

"Give it a rest."

He could feel Imayoshi's gaze on him now and he met it head on. "I won't say this didn't come as a surprise to me, Aomine," Imayoshi began. "I suppose I was expecting something more... pressing. But the prospect of your failure is close at hand if you don't stop playing your games. I've never seen you act this way with any hit before and it's led the Coach to believe you'll give up."

Aomine snorted. "When the hell have I ever given up?"

"When has your opponent ever been so close to your heart?"

Aomine stilled. He'd been having this conversation with himself since he first found the pocket knife in the rubble of his only failed hit.

"Your lack of response only gives me more reason to doubt." Imayoshi clicked his tongue as his eyes slid back to the road ahead of them. "This is why the Coach chose me to complete the mission once you fail," He held up a finger when Aomine opened his mouth to protest. " _If_ you fail." He corrected with a soft sigh, barely more than a whisper of air from his lips. "I would rather not be tasked with taking out one of the greatest assassins to ever work under me and, I'll remind you, you have every right to put up a fight. But I'll also remind you that I trained you. From the minute you picked up a gun to where you are now, I know you as an assassin better than anyone knows you as anything else. And I will use it to my advantage."

He had no doubt that Imayoshi would use whatever means necessary to complete his task. He was the most resourceful out of every member and the most cold-blooded killer Aomine had ever met. If he wasn't tasked with taking out despicable men, Aomine was convinced he'd still paint his hands red with the blood of anyone who dared to cross him. 

"I'm not going to fail, Imayoshi." Aomine turned his face away, looking out the window once again. Imayoshi could read expressions as well as he could read a book. If Aomine was lying, even if he didn't know it himself, Imayoshi would see it. 

"Good," Imayoshi pulled into a turn lane. The incessant click of the turn signal echoed throughout the car until Imayoshi broke through the rhythmic sound to say, "If you fail, I will not hesitate to take out your pretty husband if he gets in my way."

Aomine slammed his hand against the dashboard and turned blazing eyes on Imayoshi. "Imayoshi, don't you fucking da––"

A ringtone cut through Aomine's furious protest. Each one of them frantically patted their pockets until Imayoshi pulled his out and pressed it to his ear. Silence spread throughout the car, the three of them listening, trying to capture what was being said. The voice was panicked, but demanding, high-pitched with fear. It was never a good sign when someone had the guts to use that kind of tone with Imayoshi. 

Their bodies jerked forward when Imayoshi suddenly slammed on the brakes and hissed, "Since when?" They could barely make out more quick babble before Imayoshi snapped. "I asked you a question. Answer. Now." Before the man on the other line could finish, Imayoshi slammed his phone against the gear shift and took off at a speed that felt like it could rival a Formula 1 race car. 

Sakurai finally spoke up "Imayoshi-san, what––"

"Aomine's little plaything and his friends," Imayoshi hissed, turning wide, gleaming eyes on Aomine. "Have broken into our headquarters. They're pirating our data as we speak." Imayoshi's fingers clenched so tightly around the steering wheel they could hear the leather whine from the pressure. "And you wanted to play games with him. Keep him alive a little longer."

Aomine swallowed hard and glanced over his shoulder. Sakurai's eyes were wider than usual, retreating beneath his ever growing bangs. Wakamatsu clenched his hands over the tops of his thighs and shook his head. None of them expected it.

"He broke through my security system," Imayoshi whispered and Aomine glanced at him once more, eyebrow raised in his confusion. "Was that your husband? Is Kise Ryouta smarter than you give him credit for?"

With a shake of his head, Aomine said, "I don't think that was him."

Imayoshi dipped his head forward, making Aomine want to reach out and grab the steering wheel. A soft laugh shook Imayoshi's body and gradually grew louder until he dipped his head back in almost genuine mirth. Aomine's eyes grew wide and he pulled his hands away, in mid-motion toward keeping the car on the road. 

"Imayoshi, maybe––"

"You focus on your hit, Aomine." Imayoshi's laughter died away so suddenly it was almost as if they had all imagined the terrifying sound. "I'll focus on mine."

* * *

 

Kise tapped his foot as he stood guard at the door, handgun a hard comfort against the palm of his hand. He shouldn't be on edge, he kept telling himself. They'd carved out a window of time where the building would be free of any members of the opposing agency, of Aomine's agency. Infiltration was key, Kasamatsu told them, and the information they could gain from it would give them the upper hand in Kise's ever ticking time limit for his hit. 

But it all felt too easy. They weren't stupid enough to leave their building unguarded. Even now Kobori set up shop in their floors with a few other men to ensure that Aomine and his team don't get the same idea and attempt to poke and prod their way in to steal valuable information. Kise couldn't believe that any of the Touou agency members would ever willingly leave their data unprotected, even if the members of Kaijou were standing in the very room they'd left unguarded with devices hooked up to every tower possible. Goosebumps rose on Kise's skin and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise as he listened to every minute sound that came from the other end of the door. 

"Senpai." His voice was a low warning.

"Almost done," Kasamatsu called out to him, tapping away at the small keyboard in front of him as numbers raced across the screen. "We have more than enough time to get out of here before––"

A crash echoed from the other end of the door and Kise flung himself away to grab at the large black bag they all carried with them. "Senpai, I told you he'd find out." He grabbed Moriyama's arm as he headed toward the row of windows. "Enough," he said as the movement disconnected the device Moriyama had been using. "We probably have more than enough information. Go set up."

Moriyama nodded and let his own bag fall off his shoulders. The remainder of their men, five total counting Kise and Kasamatsu, lined up at the windows, pulling large rocket launched zip lines from their bags. Kise hefted the crossbow-shaped launcher onto his shoulder and glanced to the side. Kasamatsu was still furiously typing, allowing for a few more seconds of data collection. Just as Kise was about to open his mouth to protest, a loud crash shook the door. Their barricade would only hold for so long. That was all the push Kasamatsu needed to disconnect and stand at Kise's side.

"Told you we'd get out on time," Kasamatsu told him with a faint smile that Kise didn't return.

He directed his gaze forward as he braced a hand on the side of the launcher to steady it before firing. The sharp, clawed end of the zip line crashed through the window, leaving a bare pane for each of them to glide through. It took a few seconds for the claw to lodge into the opposite building and then for each of them to latch the zip line launcher onto the ceiling. Kise dipped to pull the harness from his bag, draping it over the line and securing it around his wrist. Moriyama went first and then the other men. Kasamatsu was about to take off when the door burst open. He glanced back at Kise and mouthed, _Don't you dare linger_ , before disappearing out the window.

Kise did linger, if only to catch a glimpse of Aomine's face as they took off. And it _was_ Aomine who came barreling through the door.

"Ryouta!" he shouted, pulling a handgun from a holster at his waist and taking aim.

Kise smirked and blew him a kiss with his free hand before he pushed himself out the window. Before the wind drowned out all sound, he heard Aomine's footsteps, frantic and swift as he tried to catch the tail-end of Kise's jacket before he was out of reach. Kise didn't look back until his feet hit the ledge of the building opposite Aomine's. He could still see him so clearly, even from the distance. It was almost as though Aomine was magnified, always a little too big and unbelievable for Kise not to see. 

He didn't need a close up to know of the scowl that twisted Aomine's lips and he heard the frustration in his voice as he shouted, "Chicken shit!"

Kise grinned and tapped his fingers against his forehead in a mock salute as he shouted back, "Pussy!"

* * *

 

Aomine reeled back, eyes wide as Kise disappeared into the window of the building across from him. As he stumbled back into the room, he heard static crackle through the walkie talkie latched to his hip. He grabbed the device and confirmed his location before Imayoshi spoke.

"You were too late," Imayoshi said. It wasn't a question. He knew it for a fact by the way Aomine didn't smugly declare his victory. 

It took a few seconds for Aomine to lamely respond with a, "Yeah..."

"Took you by surprise again?" Imayoshi asked. Aomine could almost hear the grin in his voice.

He nodded to himself and shook his head. "That asshole..." He flicked the safety back on his handgun and holstered it at his hip. "He called me a pussy..."

For once Imayoshi's laughter didn't sound calculated or condescending. It wasn't the terrifying sound he'd unpleasantly experienced in the car. "When it comes to him, Aomine, you definitely are."

"Imayoshi," Aomine growled in warning.

"Enough," Imayoshi tapped his finger against the walkie talkie, a signal for Aomine to return to where they were stationed. "I know where they're headed."

Aomine took one last, lingering look at the window, picturing Kise's body in the frame as he blew him a kiss. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he made his way out of the room and down the stairs.

"Their little snoop isn't the only one with impressive digital skills," Imayoshi praised himself. Aomine rolled his eyes. "They have another base, far removed from civilization. Kise will be there. They'll be prepping him for your final showdown, I presume. Might as well catch them off guard. Since you're in there, you can feel free to have access to any weapon in my arsenal. Take with you whatever you feel you need to get the job done."

"I'm good," Aomine replied.

Static hissed through the speaker and Aomine assumed Imayoshi was adjusting the volume to ensure he heard him correctly.

"Aomine, maybe I heard you wrong. Did you say––"

"I said I'm good," He repeated, patting his chest and the pockets of his slacks. His phone was still on him and that was the only device he'd need. "I don't need your weapons. I can do this myself."

"Aomine, I told you _no more games_. You're gonna get yourself killed and––"

"What does it matter, Imayoshi?" Aomine bypassed the entrance that lead to Imayoshi's car and headed for one near the back where he'd parked his favored Audi. "I'm dead either way, right?"

* * *

 

"Kise, it looks like your husband is really into making house calls."

Kise glanced over his shoulder as he whetted the blade of his knife across a small stone. Realistically he knew that knives wouldn't be effective against Aomine. He'd never let him sink the sharp tip into his skin from up close and, as deadly as Kise's aim was, Aomine's reflexes were probably faster. However, it gave him an odd sense of comfort to have his weapon of choice somewhere on his person. He'd lost his precious pocket knife in the explosion on his failed hit and he needed the weight of something in his pocket to keep him as relaxed as he could possibly be in this situation. 

With a sigh, he pushed himself out of his chair, dropped the knife onto the table and made his way to the screen. Moriyama wasted no time in pulling up feeds showing Aomine languidly sauntering up the road to the the remote hideaway they'd retreated to. "He showed up on the radar and then appeared on all the security cameras," Moriyama explained, toggling between camera views to get a better look at Aomine. "He doesn't appear to be armed, but I'm sure he has the ability to hide a weapon anywhere on his body. I don't think an assassin of his calibur would show up unarmed to the base of another group of assassins, right?"

Kise snorted and shook his head. "You don't know Daiki." He turned away from the screens and stomped toward the window. If he was right, Aomine was only a few feet away from the front door, which was located directly underneath the window Kise had been staring out of since they'd arrived. He could see Kasamatsu following close behind in his peripheral, armed with a rifle strapped across his shoulder. He flipped the latch on the window pane and dragged it up and open, peering his head out at the exact moment that Aomine stopped before the door and turned his head upward to meet Kise's furious gaze.

"What the hell do you want?" Kise called out to him, keeping the more important question, the 'how did you find this place?', to himself. He wasn't willing to give away their surprise. He always wanted to make sure it seemed like they were a step ahead, like they were expecting him to show up at a place even some of their most seasoned members had never been privileged enough to know about. 

"Maybe I just wanted to see you," Aomine replied and Kise wanted to fling a knife at the smirk that spread across his lips. "I don't think I need to have a reason to come see my husband, do I?"

The word 'husband' made Kise grit his teeth and clench his fists. "About that," He growled, just loud enough for Aomine to hear. "I think we need to talk to Dr. Hayama again. Seems like we've got some marital problems that might bring this relationship to a close."

"Are you talking about the fact that one of us will be dead in the next-–" Aomine pulled his phone out of his pocket and lit up the screen to read the time. "Twelve hours or so? Kinda hard to make an appointment when only one of us will be able to make it."

"I'll make sure to let him know you won't be attending."

Aomine chuckled. "I always did love your confidence, Ryouta."

"You never answered my question, Daiki," Kise replied, bracing his hands on the window ledge as he leaned further out the window. He couldn't stomach Aomine's compliments anymore. "What the hell do you want?"

"I just wanted to reminisce." He grinned and tapped his phone. "Don't go commenting on my choice of word there either. Looked that shit up in the dictionary."

Kise grimaced. "I don't want to _reminisce_ , Daiki. Pull out your fucking gun so we can make one last memory together."

"Do you really want that to happen, Ryouta?" Aomine took a step back and gestured to himself. "Do you really wanna lose all of this?"

"I never really had it in the first place, did I?"

"I don't know," Aomine admitted with a shrug. "You tell me. Remember when we went to Paris? The ferry ride? You leaned your body back so far over the edge I swore any passing boat would take your goddamn head off. So I clung to your hips so hard I left bruises on your skin and told you that you'd lose your balance if you didn't stop that shit. Remember what you said to me?"

"Daiki, don't."

"'You'll never let me fall.' That's what you said." 

Kise bristled. "I don't remember that."

"Yes you do." Aomine took a few steps back and started pacing back and forth. "And then there was the time your grandmother died. I was there for you the whole time, wasn't I?"

A lump was forming in Kise's throat and he tried to swallow it down, cursing it for being there in the first place. 

"You were so upset and I just held you in my arms and you clung to me and said––" "

Kise leaned forward and shouted, "Shut up!"

Aomine ignored him. "You said, 'Losing family is hard, but I don't think I could handle losing you. I'd rather die.'"

Fury coursed through Kise's veins as he whipped around and yanked Kasamatsu's rifle out off of his shoulder. 

"You want to know what else I remember, Daiki?" he hissed.

He didn't bother looking at Aomine's face for recognition as he lifted the rifle up against the side of his face. "'Use your cheek as an anchor, babe.'" And he took the shot. 

~~~

A tightness blossomed in Kise's chest and he felt like it was constricting his rapidly beating heart. He could feel each beat as though it were his last. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face and his eyes burned with tears that wouldn't fall. He was driving a little faster than he should have been, passing car after car as he raced back to the house he had shared with Aomine.

Aomine who's body had jerked backward when the bullet had connected with his shoulder. Aomine who's body had slumped to the ground in a disjointed heap, leaving Kise speechless, breathless. He got his second chance. After all, he did say it was never too late to leave Kise breathless. He had waited for Aomine to stir, waited for him to lift his head with that signature smirk and tell Kise he'd never win against him. 

But Aomine never moved. 

He could still feel the gun in his grasp, his finger on the trigger just before he let his anger get the better of him. He hadn't meant to press it. He'd only meant it as a taunt, but Aomine had been pushing all the wrong buttons. Maybe he was doing it on purpose. Had he wanted Kise to be the one to take the final shot? Had he wanted him to live with this weight on his shoulders, with the pain that blossomed in his chest and threatened to swallow him whole?

His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he jerked the car off the highway and onto the side streets that led into their neighborhood. Each building he passed reminded him of Aomine. That was the laundry mat Aomine had reluctantly used when Kise had made the washing machine malfunction after using more detergent than necessary. He frowned at the donut shop that Aomine favored, even though Kise always reprimanded him for eating those unhealthy rings. Then there was the pizza shop they frequented, their favorite sushi restaurant, the gas station where Aomine had been hit on by the teenage cashier and left scowling as Kise laughed, glad to be the one that was out of the spotlight for once. 

He pulled his eyes away from the landmarks and focused on the road. The road he'd taken so many times with Aomine at his side, fighting over what music to play in the car, snapping at him to get his feet off the dashboard. He wanted this, he told himself. He wanted to win. But every inch of the world around him reminded him of one person and one person only. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Kise glanced at the display screen on his dashboard as his phone hooked up to the bluetooth in his car. Aomine's name flashed on the screen and Kise drew in a sharp breath. He didn't answer, not at first. He knew it couldn't be possible. Someone must have stolen his phone from him, perhaps one of the other Kaijou members, or someone from Aomine's own agency. He let the phone ring until it stopped buzzing in his pocket and he let loose the breath he'd been holding. 

But Aomine's name appeared again as the buzzing resumed. Once was a coincidence, Kise told himself, twice was one coincidence too much for him not to give in to the morbid curiosity. He picked up.

"Ryouta," Aomine smooth drawl echoed through his car and Kise slammed on the brakes and jerked his car to the side of the road. "You really were trying to kill me that time, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was" Kise whispered, unable to keep the pain and confusion from his voice. "But I swear I saw you die. I shot you. You didn't get up. You _died_."

"Have you ever heard of a bulletproof vest, babe?"

Kise's jaw dropped open. How could he assume Aomine wouldn't wear one of those when he wore one himself during most hits? He slammed a hand against the dashboard and cursed under his breath.

"Idiot," Aomine's snort made Kise's stomach churn unpleasantly. A part of him had felt guilty, sure, but he'd also felt relieved. Their game had ended and he had won, or so he thought. Now time was ticking once again, and Kise had already written it off as completed. He didn't want to have to take up arms again. "Nice to know you were worried though."

"I wasn't," Kise snapped. He took a deep breath to steady himself and shifted the car into drive. "I was pretty happy it was all over."

There was a beat of silence before Aomine said, "Were you really?"

"Yes," He didn't hesitate to answer. He was counting down the few hours they had left and planning his next move. Guilt had been washed away from the shore by a wave of frustration and determination stirred the depths to ensure the waves were ceaseless and powerful. "I thought I had won. I thought everything was over and I was _relieved_ , Daiki." 

Another silence stretched between them, leaving the car with no noise save the soft whisper of static to remind him that Aomine had yet to disconnect.

"Ryouta, can I ask you something?" Aomine sounded tired, and if Kise listened closely enough he might have heard the way his voice broke at the end. 

"You would ask even if I said no."

Aomine chuckled weakly and didn't deny it. "Was any of it real?"

"Any of what?"

"You know what." Aomine's voice lowered to barely more than a whisper. "The marriage. Us. All of it. Was anything real?"

Kise's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "Of all the times to ask a question like this you––"

"Please, Ryouta. I need to know."

It was his turn to let silence linger in the air. He knew Aomine wouldn't end the conversation without an answer. He drove slowly through their neighborhood, taking in the houses of the neighbors they had known for the past five years of their lives, vaguely remembering all the smiles, all the handshakes, all the hugs and the kisses from everyone. He remembered Aomine complaining about every single one of them. He remembered that he had agreed with every complaint. He wasn't one of these people then and he couldn't be now. This was never his life, none of it was. 

"No, Daiki." Kise finally replied, his voice hoarse, but level. "None of it was real."

* * *

 

Aomine hung up and let his arm drop to his side. Of all the words he'd wanted to hear, of all the ones he'd _needed_ to hear, he didn't count those among them. He had been waiting for the painful "but", for the "I still love you, but––". Kise usually delivered the lines that made his heart do something he only thought existed in those stupid romantic comedies Kise loved so much. He used to think it was just the model in him, dropping lines that were a little too unreal, but always captured the right attention. But he also felt like Kise reserved them only for him. Until now.

"None of it was real," Aomine repeated. He ghosted his foot along the brake to slow his speed as he entered their neighborhood. When everything ended, if he managed to escape with his life, he'd move as far away from this toxic neighborhood as possible. It was too Kise saturated for him to stay and he needed the detox. If none of it was real, then all of it had been nothing more than one long, addictive high and those words were the catalyst to sober him. 

He pulled out his phone as he turned into his driveway and sent a quick text to Imayoshi, telling him he was home with Ryouta and that this would be the end of it all. 

Kise's car was parked crookedly near the garage. He didn't bother treading carefully as he stepped outside. He could see that Kise had already abandoned the vehicle and was more than likely inside the house. He glanced at the house and debated on taking the back entrance, but realized that would be just as predictable, if not moreso, than walking in the front door. 

He pulled a handgun from his holster, one he had never used before today. The quote he had engraved on the side echoed the quote on the pocket knife he'd given to Kise years ago. He glanced at the words and could hear Kise's voice whisper them in his ear, could almost feel the breath as the ghost of a memory long gone teased him. He closed his finger around the trigger and ensured his grip didn't falter as he slowly pushed the door open. 

All the lights were out. Their chandelier, Kise's favorite part of the entryway to their home, barely reflected the dim light that filtered in through the slim cracks in the blinds. It was eerily quiet. Even the natural aching sounds of the old property were hushed as Aomine took careful steps inside. He tried to think of all the places Kise could hide, of all the obvious ones and not so obvious ones. But Kise was just as unpredictable as he was and the moment he stopped to whisper, "Ryouta?" he heard the faint click of a gun being cocked and a bullet cracked through the wall right beside his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I know it was lacking in action and heavy in the thoughts and the emotional turmoil, but I hope it was engaging enough to want to continue. Thank you all for reading and sticking with this fic up until now! Every one of you makes this worth punching out until the end. ^^
> 
> -V


	14. For Every Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final countdown, quite literally. Aomine and Kise use their last minutes going to toe to toe in a final one-on-one that will determine who will come out alive; the biggest stakes for a match their lives have ever had.
> 
> Art by [dvl](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/) to accompany the fic [here](http://drawverylittle.tumblr.com/post/117821656086/excerpt-from-when-it-rains-it-rains-bullets-by)

Aomine grit his teeth as his cheek scraped across the floor. If his reflexes had been only a fraction slower than they actually were, his head would have been shot clean off his shoulders. He glared at the holes that speckled the wall, the ones that had blown apart a frame with a picture of him and Kise laughing on a basketball court. It had been one of their engagement photos. He took a moment to stare at the pieces that remained of the memory, but he didn't lay still for long. With a foot braced against the base of the table that rested against the wall, he tensed when he saw Kise's face come into view. 

"Shame," Kise said with a frown. "I really liked that picture."

Before Kise could bring the shotgun to his cheek, Aomine had already pushed off, his body sliding along the freshly waxed floor. He felt the ground shake as the impact of the next shot blew apart the spot where he had been only moments before. He rolled onto his knees and pushed himself to his feet to dart around the corner. His back pressed against the wall of the dining room as he listened for Kise's footsteps.

"You know, Yukina just waxed the floors earlier." He chanced a glance around the corner and frowned when he found the hallway empty. "Don't think she'll be too keen on cleaning up after your shit."

His finger twitched when he saw Kise dive into the hall, shotgun at the ready. He fired two rounds from his handgun, one sailing over Kise's head as he ducked down, the second grazing Kise's shoulder. Another shot splintered through the wall to his right, sending him falling to the ground again. He threw himself into a forward roll and got straight to his feet, running further into the house. Shot after shot followed his retreat and he kept his arms up to shield his face from the debris that sailed around the room. 

"I was thinking of selling the house anyway," Kise shouted over the ringing in Aomine's ear. He could barely hear the way Kise cracked the shotgun open, no doubt slipping more shells into place.

He skidded to a halt and whipped his arm around the corner. "How the fuck do you expect this place to sell when you blast holes through the wall?" He fired off another round and narrowly missed Kise's beautiful face. Kise disappeared into the living room and Aomine followed, close at his heels.

Without hesitation, he swung around the corner into the room. Keeping low to the ground to avoid another shot, he dove at Kise's legs, knocking him off his feet. He managed to get a good grip on the barrel of the shotgun to yank it out of Kise's grasp, flinging it out the window and onto the lawn. He heard Kise curse under his breath as he struggled beneath Aomine's weight, his legs pinned to the ground. 

The first blow hit Aomine on the shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down his arm. He should've known Kise would be well-versed in hand-to-hand combat. The second caught him on the side of the head as he blocked Kise's left hand, forgetting about his right. He grit his teeth and swung his handgun to the side, catching Kise's wrist with the barrel. He heard the impact of metal against bone and pushed himself off to roll to the side. 

Despite the pain he knew Kise had to be in, he felt a swift kick to his side that distracted him long enough for Kise to grasp his gun hand, squeezing hard enough to force Aomine to drop the gun to the floor. He kicked it out of reach when he saw Kise dive for it and grabbed Kise's leg to jerk him back. Kise rolled over and glared at him, rearing his free leg up to drive the heel of his foot into Aomine's side.

With a grunt of pain, Aomine released Kise's leg and scrambled backward, ignoring the nausea that roiled within him from the blow. He managed to scramble to his feet before Kise could. He swung his leg back and whipped it forward, narrowly missing Kise's face as he jerked his body back to avoid the blow. Aomine stayed just out of reach, nursing his side with pressure from his hand. His eyes kept darting to his handgun and he half expected Kise to make another dive for it. 

But Kise's lips twitched and shook his head as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. "Did you really think I wouldn't be more prepared, Daiki?" He reached behind his back and Aomine heard the soft whisper of metal against leather and knew that he'd been less observant than he usually was. Kise leveled a new gun at Aomine's face and grinned.

Aomine couldn't help but chuckle as he took careful steps backward. "Beretta in a back holster." He eyed the gun and Kise's finger, watching it shake mere millimeters from the curve of the trigger. "Not bad, Ryouta." 

"You should hear it sing," Kise replied and Aomine dove into the kitchen to avoid the first round of shots.

He had to admit, it was an impressive piece of firepower. He'd grown used to the sound of gunshots. Even with the submachine guns, he could hear every round fired off, no matter how quick. He was almost envious of Kise. The collector in him itching to get his hands on the Beretta, if only to test out its strength. But the realist in him knew he had to find a way to protect himself from the very firearm he was silently admiring and he had to find a way now. 

The fridge door served as the perfect shield when he yanked it open. The next round of shots blew apart the food they had stocked along the shelves on the door, but not one broke through. He peered around the edge and watched as Kise reloaded the machine pistol. Pulling his head back, he counted down the seconds to the next barrage of shots as his eyes darted around the room. He reached forward, pulling open the drawer that held Kise's impressive collection of kitchen knives. 

The fridge door shook as Kise resumed his attempt to shoot through it. Aomine gripped a knife in each hand and waited until he heard the telltale click of an empty magazine. He stepped to the side and flung one of the knives forward. It grazed the back of Kise's hand, making him hiss in pain and drop the Beretta to the floor. Kise was gone before Aomine released the second knife and it embedded itself into the wall where Kise had previously been. It would have been a perfect shot to the heart; a veritable target. With a growl of frustration, Aomine turned around and searched for another weapon, eyes landing on the stove. 

He had been the one to insist they have a gas stove instead of an electric one. Something about the food tasting better, he remembered his argument being. He smirked as he turned every knob just far enough to release the gas from each burner, but not quite enough to light a flame. He crouched behind the island and waited for the cock of the Beretta before he propelled himself out of the room.

The gunfire that followed resulted in an explosion that rocked the entire house. Their stove was no more and their kitchen was all but obliterated. Aomine secretly hoped Kise hadn't followed suit. His chest tightened at the thought of everything coming to a close, but the adrenaline that pumped through his veins had his heart racing in a way it hadn't done in a long time. He found he was enjoying himself despite the pain that lanced through his side with every move he made and the struggle between his heart and his mind that left his emotions frayed and raw. 

He took careful steps around the rubble to return to the living room. He wasn't prepared for an assault, having expected to find Kise immobilized after the explosion. The impact knocked him backward as Kise rode him to the floor. Kise looked a little worse for wear, scrapes bloodied his palms and his arms and Aomine could see blood running down the side of his forehead from a cut that must have been hidden by his mop of golden hair. His hands curled into fists and swung at Aomine's face, barely giving him enough time to jerk his arms forward as a shield.

The first punch grazed his forearm and deflected onto the floor. He heard the wood splinter under the pressure, giving him a good idea of just how powerful Kise's punches could be. The second one he caught before it landed, his fingers closing around Kise's fist as he got his leg up underneath him to flip them over. Kise grunted when his back hit the floor, but he didn't stop fighting. His legs locked around Aomine's waist, making it difficult for him to land a punch in their proximity. 

With a deep growl, Aomine gripped at Kise's shoulders, using his upper body strength to lift them both off the ground. He let his legs buckle, sending them flying forward. He slammed Kise's back against the ground. Kise choked and Aomine did it again. This time Kise's head hit the ground and Aomine wondered if the blow knocked him out. Distracted by the thought, he didn't realize that Kise's legs had tightened around his waist until he felt arms wrap around his neck. For a second, he mistook it for an embrace. But Kise's grip tightened until his arms could flex around Aomine's neck.

It got harder and harder to draw a breath as Kise used what strength he could muster in his compromised position. Spots threatened Aomine's vision and he could almost feel Kise's ego swell with the thought of victory. But he wasn't done yet. Forcing himself to his feet, he wrapped his arms around Kise's waist and dragged him up with him. His body grew weaker with every passing second and his legs shook as he took slow, jerky steps forward. He swung his arm to the side and landed a punch against Kise's ribcage once, twice, and the third time his fist connected he felt Kise's grip loosen. 

Without a moment's hesitation, he dipped his hands between their bodies and shoved. Clearly startled by the strength Aomine still possessed, Kise's upper body fell backward and his legs lost their grip on Aomine's waist. Using what little leverage was left from Kise's legs, Aomine flung him onto the couch, knocking the furniture over. He took a few much needed gulps of air as he listened to Kise struggle to regain his footing before he dove over the back of the couch and knocked Kise back to the ground with a fist to the jaw.

Blood flew from Kise's mouth, but he didn't give himself time to recover from the blow. He braced his hands on the floor and swung his legs around taking Aomine's out from under him. He should have expected the retaliation, but he continued to underestimate Kise's desire to win. He hit the ground hard, the impact sending ripples of biting pain up his spine. His arms were numb from catching himself and he barely had enough time to roll to his feet when he saw that Kise was already halfway to his. 

They were both beaten, bloody and barely able to catch their breath. Movement left him dizzy and he could see the way Kise's body swayed like it was difficult to stand on two feet. Time ticked away, minutes passing as swiftly as seconds. Aomine knew these were their last moments and he knew how it needed to end.

* * *

 

Kise pressed his hands just above his knees as he doubled over. His stomach tightened uncomfortably with every ragged breath and he was no longer sure if the physical injuries were the cause or whether that unpleasant wave of dread as he became acutely aware of the end of the line was behind it. He chanced a glance upward and watched Aomine's blazing eyes stare him down, fighting the urge to flick off to the side. He could see the way they wavered with every passing second. Aomine's panting mingled with his own, creating a familiar symphony in the air and he half expected to see Aomine lift his shirt to wipe at his face before asking if he wanted to play another round.

This was a much different court and their game was a lot more costly than a blow to the ego after a one-on-one. Basketball had been a source of comfort and Kise knew that it would only be a source of pain once things were over. _If I win this final match._

Finally Aomine's eyes gave in to the pull of whatever had been distracting him and Kise followed his gaze to where Aomine's handgun and his machine pistol rested against the floor. His fingers tightened around his legs and he glanced back at Aomine. Their eyes met for a brief second, both of them aware of what would happen next before Kise took the first leap, propelling himself over the back of the upturned couch and snatching Aomine's handgun off the floor before rolling to his feet to point the barrel at Aomine's face.

Except there was a slightly larger barrel pointed in his direction. Aomine stood, one arm extended with Kise's Beretta tucked into the palm of his hand. His finger hovered over the trigger, as Kise's did, and they stared at one another over the threat of imminent death. There was something in Aomine's eyes that made Kise's stomach threaten to upend itself. He didn't want to be inside Aomine's head, not when his eyes flickered in that dangerous way––not the dangerous, ready-to-kill kind of way either––that made Kise believe things wouldn't end with just a gunshot. 

That was all he wanted to hear, the ringing finality of his greatest hit coming to a close. 

"Ryouta." But Aomine _had_ to speak. 

Kise tightened his grip around the handle of the gun. "Daiki, you know this is the end," he hissed, taking a small step forward. "Till death do us part, right?"

Aomine's lips twitched, but it was barely an echo of the smirk that had drawn Kise in all those years ago. It was a mournful smile of a man out of options, a man with literally nothing left to lose. He watched as Aomine's arm lowered a few inches, the Beretta pointed at Kise's stomach in a loose grip. 

Kise's eyes widened. "Don't..." The gun was at Aomine's side now as he shook his head and Kise took another step forward, waving the gun fanatically in front of him. "Don't you fucking dare, Daiki! You promise me a cha––"

"I gave you a challenge, Ryouta," Aomine replied, unmoving. His eyes no longer flickered with the restless uncertainty that had Kise's stomach in knots. "I drew this out until the very end and now I'm done." He watched Aomine glance down at the gun and let loose a soft chuckle. "I even made sure you were better prepared to finish this." Kise shook his head as Aomine's eyes met his own. "It was always meant to be you."

"No!" Kise snapped, his head shaking violently back and forth. "No! Point the goddamn gun at me, Daiki. It's not over! This is still... we still..."

"Time's up, baby." Aomine lifted the gun and pointed it at Kise for a few seconds, his hand shaking until he turned the barrel on himself.

Kise froze, his body tense, his eyes wide. His bottom lip shook and he couldn't find a way to stop the reaction from being so evident. 

"You wanted my life, right?" Aomine whispered, pressing the tip of the barrel over his heart. "It was always yours, Ryouta. I never stood a chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for being patient with the chapter release! Hope you all enjoyed it! <3
> 
> -V


	15. Let's Talk About Kinks, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a painful thing, seeing the one you love ready to die for you, but it’s even more painful knowing you have to make the choice between killing them, or letting them finish it for you. Kise has to make a choice, and he doesn’t believe reconciliation is an option. Unless Aomine has something up his sleeve, something that will make Kise remember all the reasons why none of this should end.
> 
> Art by [Shao](http://4nimenut.tumblr.com/) to accompany the fic [here](http://4nimenut.tumblr.com/post/125679796413/some-aokise-to-make-up-for-lack-of-art-rolls)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being patient with the update! Hope you enjoy!

Kise's breath came in ragged gasps. He felt like his throat was closing. He thought he knew how things would end, but as Aomine stood there pressing a gun against his own chest, Kise could barely remember what his task was supposed to be. His heart thundered in his chest and it was as if time stopped, Aomine's words lingering the air around them.

"Daiki..." Kise choked out, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. "What the hell are you doing? Stop––" He glanced at his hand, the one that held Aomine's gun in what he thought was a tight grip. It shook. Surety became a cracked resolve and he lifted his other hand to bolster the grip. "Point that gun at me, Daiki. Do it."

"No," Aomine replied, his finger ghosting across the trigger. "I told you, Ryouta, I had no intention of coming out of this alive. Not if it came down to your life or mine."

Kise shook his head. He refused to believe this was happening. Aomine had been playing games with him this whole time. He thought it was his way of drawing out the hit until the very end so he could gloat as he stared at Kise over the barrel of a gun. He wanted the cocky Aomine who believed that the only one who could beat him was himself. He didn't expect Aomine to take his own words so literally.

"Ryouta..." Aomine took a half step forward. 

"Don't..." Kise whispered, still shaking his head. "Don't come near me." 

"Am I allowed to say goodbye?"

Kise bit his bottom lip. Goodbyes aren't something you say to your targets, Kise reminded himself. Goodbyes are for the people you care about, the ones you'll miss. "I don't understand," he finally rasped, his voice failing him the longer he stared at the gun pressed against Aomine's chest. "I don't understand, Daiki. We haven't been... _anything_ in so long. We haven't––"

"Maybe you haven't been, but I have." Aomine sighed and Kise saw his hand twitch, likely fighting the urge to run his fingers through his hair. It struck him as odd that he would be so observant of the little gestures, all the tiny quirks of Aomine's that he'd grown to understand over the years, at a time when those very quirks could be erased for good. 

"But you..." Kise squeezed his eyes shut. A part of him, the part of him that was an assassin first, screamed at him to keep his eyes open. If this was a ruse, this would be Aomine's perfect chance to take advantage of him. But Kise couldn't bring himself to care. In the end, he was still a human being and it was impossible for him to ignore his lingering feelings for Aomine. "You said you took this job seriously. You made me a promise and––"

"I did make you a promise, Ryouta." Aomine shook his head and met Kise's shattered gaze. As much as he wanted to, Kise didn't pull his eyes away. He needed to see that raw emotion. "I promised to have and to hold you."

Kise's eyes widened and he took a step back. 

"For better or for worse," Aomine continued.

"Stop it," Kise snapped, shaking his head. 

"For richer or for poorer."

"Daiki," Kise jerked the gun forward and brushed his finger against the trigger. "Stop!"

"In sickness and in health."

Kise fired off a warning round, just shy of Aomine's face. Aomine didn't flinch. 

"I promised to love and cherish you, Ryouta."

"Shut up!" Kise shouted, leveling the gun at Aomine's face.

Aomine took a step forward, his eyes falling to handgun in Kise's grasp. "Till death do us part."

Kise drew a shaky breath and squeezed the gun. His finger hovered over the trigger, hesitant, but ready to fire off the finishing shot. He shifted the gun in his hand and his thumb brushed across grooves that ran down the side of the handle. Everyone firearm he'd used had been smooth, unmarred. Curiosity made him look, but the words that stared back at him nearly made him drop the weapon. 

"Beginner's luck," he whispered, running his fingers over each letter one by one. 

He barely saw Aomine nod in his peripheral. "Always carried you with me, baby."

Kise pulled his eyes away from the words that had been burned into his memory since the beginning of their relationship, words that had impacted his life in more ways that he could have ever imagined. Aomine's eyes were still that deep, dark blue that he had drowned in years ago. It always felt like he was lost at sea, like Aomine was the Bermuda Triangle and he had long since succumbed to the inevitable. Aomine had reeled him in and Kise could never find a way out, but maybe he had never wanted to. 

"Daiki..."

Aomine dropped the Beretta and closed the distance between them in two swift steps, slapping his gun out of Kise's hand and grabbing his cheeks to pull him forward for a fierce kiss. Their lips met with a force that knocked the air of Kise. Aomine kissed him with the desperation of a man close to death, trying to struggle for every last breath. Kise felt like he was that life that Aomine needed right then and he was loathe to stop himself from offering it. After all, his body melted against Aomine's. He vaguely wondered if this is what it felt like to taste food after starving for so long. 

Kise gasped as Aomine pulled away, but it was a short reprieve. Their lips met seconds later, Aomine feeding at his lips as he slammed him against the wall. Kise groaned and he heard the sound of glass shattering. He had hit the wall so hard picture frames had fallen to the ground, the glass in pieces at their feet. He didn't have the mind to protest, nor the words. Aomine's lips pulled away to travel down his neck, teeth scoring against his skin. His body shuddered with every kiss, every mark he knew was being left behind. 

Aomine's hips ground against his own in a frantic, animalistic way that had Kise burning for more of the blistering friction that made his hips buck in equal desperation. He lifted a leg off the ground, hooking it around Aomine's hip and seconds later Aomine hitched his other leg up, bracing strong hands beneath Kise's thighs to hold him up.

He swung them around, slamming Kise into another wall, earning him another groan that stretched into a whimper as their hips rolled together again. Kise was already painfully hard, already weeping within his dress slacks. He could feel the mess building and couldn't find the words to tell Aomine how much messier he wanted to get. Though Aomine didn't seem to need to hear them. He clearly wanted the same thing. 

Kise's back arched when Aomine's hand slid up his thighs to dip around the curve of his ass, giving his cheeks a tight, almost painful squeeze. He jerked his hips forward, gasping when Aomine's fingers tickled down the center of his ass, teasing him outside the fabric that Kise desperately wanted removed. He tightened his legs around Aomine's waist for better leverage to urge Aomine's hips to continue the fierce undulation that bolstered the friction between the two of them. 

"Daiki..." He gasped, digging his teeth into his bottom lip as Aomine sunk his teeth into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "There's... too much..."

Aomine pulled away and licked the speckling blood off his lips––a sight Kise's wasn't aware he enjoyed until now––as he blinked lust hazed eyes at Kise. "Too much?"

Kise swallowed thickly and shook his head as Aomine rolled his hips again. "Fuck.... too much clothing. Too much clothing. Too much..."

Aomine pulled them away from the wall and stepped onto the kitchen floor, he dropped Kise's legs, barely giving him enough time to catch himself on the island before he gripped Kise's hips and forcibly spun him around. Kise gasped when his stomach hit the island and his knees nearly buckled when Aomine gripped the waist of his pants and literally tore them down his legs until they pooled at his ankles. He had heard the fabric tear, most likely in multiple places, and he couldn't bring himself to care that his expensive pants had been ruined.

His lower half now bare, he shuddered as the cool air in the kitchen caressed across his heated skin. Aomine pushed him forward, until Kise bowed over the island countertop. His chest rested against the cold surface and he tried to look over his shoulder to see what Aomine was up to. A slap echoed throughout the kitchen and Kise's body spasmed against the island. His ass throbbed where Aomine hit him and he found himself whimpering for another, to which Aomine eagerly obliged. 

Each slap made his skin sting, leaving behind a new heat that had his hips bucking against the kitchen island. His cock rubbed against the bottom of the extended frame around the sides. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't the stimulation his body wanted. 

"Daiki, stop teasing me and just––"

Aomine interrupted him spinning him around to face him and dipping his hands beneath Kise's smooth, supple thighs to lift him off the ground. The action earned him a yelp of surprise. He chuckled and placed Kise on the kitchen island. Another yelp followed and punch to his arm as Kise hissed, "Cold." He kicked his leg at Aomine who caught it in a tight grasp. "My ass is cold, Daiki."

He lifted Kise's leg onto his shoulder, turning his face to press a kiss against his ankle. Then he pressed his lips against the side of Kise's knee, slipping his tongue out to caress the soft skin at the bend. Kise's leg jerked, but Aomine's hold was firm as he moved closer to the source of heat at Kise's core. "If your ass is cold," he breathed, dragging his teeth across the skin of Kise's inner thigh, making him squirm. "I'm just gonna have to warm it up, aren't I?"

Kise's lips twitched in a smirk as he suppressed a shudder that threatened to run down his spine as Aomine's lips got closer and closer to the heat of his arousal. "Take responsibility," he breathed, hooking his leg over Aomine's shoulder to spur him forward. 

Aomine resisted the strength of his silent encouragement, pulling back instead of gracing Kise's weeping cock with the warmth of his mouth. Kise groaned and scowled, his lips curving into a near pout. When he was about to open his mouth to speak, Aomine leaned forward, stole a kiss and whispered, "Brace yourself."

"Wha––"

Kise's question dissolved into gasp as Aomine grabbed his hips and lifted them off the island, flipping him onto his stomach. Kise thanked all his training for the reflexes he had. He barely managed to bring his arms forward to brace them against the countertop before the entirety of his upper body landed against it. He glanced over his shoulder, another scowl ready on his lips when Aomine pushed his legs forward, bending his knees and lifting his ass until Kise was spread out before him like an offering, a pale, taut right angle that Aomine's eyes traced, leaving a trail of goosebumps in it's wake. 

It had been far too long since Aomine looked at him like that and the effect was no less powerful than when they first started dating. He felt the shiver of anticipation tickle down his spine, bowing his back in a way that pushed his ass higher, offered more of himself to Aomine's wandering gaze. From years of experience, he knew what Aomine wanted. He shifted his legs until they spread further apart and he heard Aomine's growl of approval in response. 

"I thought you were warming me up," Kise tutted softly, his voice dropping to a deeper husk, thick with desire. 

Aomine chuckled and ran right hand over the smooth swell of Kise's ass, and Kise's hips bucked as he scraped across the red, sensitive skin. "Have you ever heard of patience, baby?"

Kise snorted and pushed his ass back against Aomine's hand. "Not a term I'm familiar with, Daiki." He bowed his head forward, pressing his forehead against the chilled surface of the island as he groaned, "Give it to me."

It seemed Aomine needed no further encouragement. His hands gripped at Kise's hips before sliding around to cup his cheeks, forcibly spreading them apart. Kise bit his lower lip and drew in a shaky breath as tension mounted in his lower stomach. He could feel the warmth of Aomine's face closing in until a new heat, wet and teasing, slid across his exposed entrance. He gasped and jerked his hips forward, earning him a chuckle from Aomine.

"It's been so long since––"

"Daiki," Kise hissed in warning, shoving his hips backward. "Shut the hell up and put that tongue to work."

He could hear another suppressed chuckle and he was about to comment when he felt that wet heat dip inside him, breaking through the tight ring and exploring the spasming muscles within. Kise groaned, long and loud. His body trembled as Aomine's face pressed forward, plunging his tongue in as far as it could go. His hands moved from Kise's ass to his hips, giving a warning squeeze when Kise jerked his hips backward. With every aggressive thrust of tongue, Kise shivered, his legs trembling and his hips fighting the urge to shove back against Aomine's face, seeking a deeper penetration. 

"Daiki, I––" Heat mounted in his stomach, boiling faster than he ever remembered it happening before. It might have been the amount of time they'd spent not touching one another, the long nights sleeping as far as possible on opposite sides of the bed, a long-standing deprivation that made him succumb so easily, but Kise couldn't hold out. 

Aomine didn't let up despite the half finished warning. Kise could feel him probing, feel his tongue exploring, flicking in all the right places, at all the right times. He felt a hand pull away from his hips, dipping between his legs to tug at the heavy sac that hung between them. It was all the encouragement Kise needed to let go. His hips stuttered in their motion, coming to a tight stop as he came, wave upon wave of unadulterated pleasure burning through him, drowning his mind in a haze he couldn't even see past. 

He wanted to collapse against the island, but he also wanted to curse at Aomine for making him dirty the area where he prepared their food. He tried to turn around, but slid to the side instead. His arm rested against the countertop and his body shook with every stuttered breath, but Aomine gave him no time to rest. He grabbed Kise's hips, dragging him off the kitchen island and tugging him back into the living room.

The air left Kise's lungs as Aomine slammed him into the bookcase, smashing their lips together once again. Kise's photo books rained down around them, barely missing their heads. Aomine's hips ground against Kise's with a new fervor, the friction of his slacks against Kise's still hard, sensitive cock was almost unbearable. He tried to angle his hips away, but had no where to go and soon he caved and wrapped his leg around Aomine's urging the continuation of the motion. 

Aomine growled, the sound rumbling in his chest, thrumming against Kise's body. Kise moaned in response, dropping his hand between their bodies to cup around Aomine's evident arousal. Kise dragged his fingers up the length outlined against the fabric of his slacks as he leaned forward, lips brushing Aomine's as he husked, "Pretty hard down there, Daiki." 

Aomine grinned and rolled his hips into Kise's hand. 

With a grin of his own, Kise dragged his lips across Aomine's cheek to nip at his earlobe. He heard the groan in response and whispered words repeated from the moment they started their little game of predators, "Haven't felt anything that hard in almost a year."

A deep chuckle rumbled in Aomine's chest as he pressed his lips below Kise's ear and whispered back, "Gonna have to change that now, baby."

* * *

 

Aomine hadn't planned on sleeping with his target, but then again, he was never opposed to sleeping with his husband. Kise just happened to be one and the same. But as he felt the eager squeeze below his waist, he found that any part of him that had been telling him to slow down had all but disappeared. Kise had already come undone once and his stamina hadn't waned. His need was pressed between their bodies, brushing against the hand that cupped Aomine's equally as needy cock through the fabric of his hindering slacks. 

He stepped back just enough to undo the button and drag the zipper down. Kise watched him, his golden eyes wavering in their needy impatience. It took him a matter of seconds to rid himself of the cumbersome fabric and another few seconds to strip the shirt off as well. He eyes danced across Kise's body as he straightened, following the tight muscles in his calves, to his pale, supple thighs. He eyed the way Kise's cock throbbed and his eyes narrowed as they moved higher, pausing at the way the bottom of Kise's button down framed his upper thighs, hiding the sharp lines of Kise's hip bones from sight. 

"No," he breathed, ignoring Kise's cocked head in confusion as he stepped forward and gripped the hem of the shirt. Kise opened his mouth, presumably to protest, but Aomine had already flexed his arms, tightening his grip as he tore the shirt up the center. Buttons flew in every direction and he jerked Kise's arms back with the shirt to tug it off, pressing their bare bodies together as he stole another kiss from Kise's swollen lips.

The skin to skin contact brought a deep groan from both their throats and Aomine followed it with a growl as he dipped downward, lifting Kise off the ground to toss him onto their upended couch. Kise hit the cushions that lined the back of the couch and he bounced upward, meeting Aomine's chest as he came down on top of him. Aomine grinned and rolled his hips, the slickness of Kise's cock spreading across him and making the motion smoother, easier. 

Kise moaned against his lips, the feeling leaving a tingle of pleasure across his skin. He leaned his body to the side, bracing all his weight on one arm as he caressed down Kise's side, over the swell of his thighs to dip between his legs. His fingers brushed between Kise's cheeks, teasing the slick entrance with light pressure that brought a whine from Kise's throat. 

"Wait, wait..." Kise gasped, pulling his lips away. His hand shot down between their bodies, grabbing hold of Aomine's wrist. Aomine raised a brow in confusion as Kise dragged his hand back up his body. "I want..."

He slowly pulled Aomine's hand up to his chest and Aomine could feel his heart racing, a beat as swift and eager as his own. But Kise bypassed his heart and pressed Aomine's hand against his throat. Aomine's eyes widened and he tried to jerk his hand back, but Kise's grip tightened and he shook his head. 

"Ryouta, what are you––"

"Daiki, please," Kise groaned, curling Aomine's fingers around his throat. "Squeeze when you thrust into me. Squeeze so hard you––"

"I haven't even prepared you. It'll hurt, you idiot. What the hell––"

"I want it." Kise shifted his hips enough for Aomine's cock to slip between his legs, the tip brushing against the smooth skin of Kise's ass. Aomine suppressed a groan as he tried to tug his hand back again. "Please," Kise whispered against, spreading his legs beneath Aomine. "There's something so... _arousing_ about knowing you hold my life in your hands."

Aomine's body shuddered and he bowed his head as a groan split through his lips against his will. Hearing Kise's voice, rough from abuse and low with want, whispering something so seemingly out of character, yet unusually inviting despite the potential consequences, had him near orgasm. He shook his head, more to himself than to Kise, trying to list all the reasons this could turn out badly, all the reasons to say no. But the justification of Kise's want was more than enough for him to erase all doubt as his fingers gave an experimental flex against Kise's neck. 

The hoarse groan that left Kise's mouth had Aomine's hips uncontrollably bucking against Kise's ass. "Fuck, Ryouta..." 

"Daiki, don't stop there. Don't..." Aomine glanced downward, watched Kise attempt to spread his legs further in a manner that begged for Aomine to enter him. 

He wasn't about to deny his husband what he wanted. After all, he had promised long ago that he would do anything to make Kise happy. 

His free hand, still braced to hold himself up, came away from the couch to slide between his own legs, gripping the base of his cock to angle it down against Kise's entrance. He braced all his weight against his calves as he teasingly brushed the head against the pucker, watching Kise writhe against the couch in his impatience. 

"I want..." He could feel Kise trying to angle his hips, to press them down against Aomine's cock. It was clear he wanted the penetration that Aomine was so close to giving him. "Squeeze when you..."

Aomine didn't need instruction. His fingers flexed around Kise's neck seconds before he plunged into him, their hips coming together with a harsh, wet slap. Kise's groaned, the sound a high rasp as his body shuddered almost violently beneath Aomine. A hand came up to grip at Aomine's arm, pulling downward to encourage a tighter grip. 

"Move," Kise croaked. "Daiki... move."

Aomine swiftly obliged. His body ached in a way that left every inch of his skin feeling as though it were rubbed raw. The tension that mounted in his stomach was nearly unbearable and the muscles that tightened around his cock left his senses completely frayed. He was past the point of restraint, his hips slamming into Kise's with a reckless abandon reserved for times like this, for the only one who could make him lose all the control he exerted over himself. 

His hand clamped tight around Kise's throat and he tried to watch, tried to keep track of just how dark Kise's face was getting, of how difficult it got for him to draw a breath. He could barely focus and Kise's hand against his wrist continued to urge him to squeeze harder, to steal more of his breath away. Aomine was reluctant to stop what Kise so desperately wanted. 

The couch shook, groaning under their combined weight and the vigor of each erratic thrust. Pressure grew in Aomine's lower stomach, a threat too imminent for him to ignore. The color of Kise's face was starting to resemble a tomato on the verge of going bad, his lips were starting to turn blue. Aomine's fingers loosened the slightest bit and Kise shook his head, tried to rasp out a protest that ended in a deep, hoarse moan. His body trembled beneath Aomine's and the vice around his cock tightened tenfold as Kise's orgasm hit unannounced. Aomine released Kise's throat as he arched off the couch, pressing their chests together with another hoarse scream of Aomine's name. 

He lasted only a few seconds longer, pleasure coursing through his body at an alarming rate. All the pressure released with a heavy groan that tore through his lips, his thrusts stuttering to a stop as he pulsed deep within Kise's body. Gratification wrecked him, left him weak and senseless and the strength in his arms that held him up as he bowed over Kise diminished with every passing second. He finally collapsed on top of Kise, forehead pressed against the cushion beneath him. 

"Well, shit..." he gasped, turning his head to the side. 

Kise's eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly as he focused on Aomine's face. A smile spread across his lips, weak, but no less captivating than any other smile Aomine had seen on him. "Shit is right," he chuckled, voice barely more than a gravelly whisper. 

"I fucking love you," Aomine said, lifting a tired hand, despite it feeling like a lead weight, to brush damp, golden strands away from Kise's face. 

Kise closed his eyes and shook his head, smile still in place as he said, "Yeah, babe. Me too."

~~~

They shifted, Aomine rolling underneath Kise and propping his back against the armrest. He pulled Kise in against his chest, feeling the warmth of his breath caress his skin as he slowly dragged his fingers up and down Kise's back. Their bodies were still slick with sweat, still too hot to the touch, and Aomine relished every second of it. 

"Tell me about it, baby," he breathed, tilting his head downward to brush a kiss acorss Kise's forehead. "Tell me about how you started."

Kise tilted his head up and Aomine registered the confusion in his amber eyes. 

"Working for Kaijou," Aomine clarified. "When did you first pick up a gun?"

"Oh," Kise nodded to himself before letting his head rest against Aomine's chest. "Let me think... I'm pretty sure I picked up a gun when I was twenty."

Aomine snorted. "Really? I figured you'd been in the business for longer."

He felt Kise's body shake with silent laughter. "Oh, I started when I was seventeen." Kise's fingers traced shapes on Aomine's stomach as he said, "I just started with knives."

"That explains why you're such a badass with those."

"Yeah, yeah." He felt Kise shake his head against his chest, followed by the warm brush of air as he sighed. "I was already a seasoned veteran when I met you."

"Same," Aomine lifted his free hand, tugging his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Think I started at eighteen, maybe. Can't really remember though. Kinda feels like I've been doing this shit forever."

"Same," Kise echoed, slipping his arm around Aomine's waist. 

"Does it ever weigh on you?" Aomine asked, brushing his thumb along Kise's nape. "The deaths, I mean. Does your conscience feel that shit? Do you have trouble sleeping at night?"

Kise hesitated for only a moment before shaking his head. "No," he said. "I sleep just fine."

"Yeah," Aomine nodded. "Me too."

Silence fell around them and Aomine was surprised to find he didn't feel the need to fill it with pointless small talk. This was nothing like the dreadful dinners they sat through these past few years, waging verbal wars between one another until the table was clear, along with their niceties. This silence was as comfortable as a blanket and as it wrapped around him, he sighed in contentment. His fingers threaded through the soft hairs at Kise's nape and he felt another sigh brush across his skin, one equally as content as the one he had just loosed. 

"Hey, Daiki," Kise finally broke the silence. 

"Mmm?"

"Were you the one who took out number Four?"

Aomine's lips quirked upward. "The mafia boss?"

Kise didn't have to answer, but he nodded anyway.

"Damn right I did. Bullet through the eyeball."

Kise slapped a hand against his chest and groaned. "I should've known that was you. I wanted him."

"Got me Five and Six right after, double target. Six with a shot the leg and piano wire around the neck. Same wire took out five. Arm first, then leg, then sliced the neck. Really messy. Got myself into some big trouble after that one."

He could almost feel Kise rolling his eyes. "I'm not even surprised, baka. At least my hits were clean."

Aomine fell silent, considering the statement. "Hold on a second," He lifted his head to glance down at Kise, watching as he finally turned those gleaming, amber eyes toward him. "Don't tell me... you got Two and Three?"

Kise grinned and nodded, lifting three fingers first, then two. "Took three out with a poison dart at dinner with his nephew."

Aomine let loose a low whistle. "Fuck, and I thought I was heartless."

Kise shook his head and lightly slapped his chest. "Shut up. Got Two a few weeks later when he was trying to negotiate with Ten. Somehow that low numbered asshole got away, but Two got three knives to the chest and one in the eye. No mess."

It was Aomine's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." His fingers brushed up Kise's back, pausing at raised skin just above his right shoulder blade. "Oi, what's this over here?"

Kise tried to glance over his shoulder and seemed to remember that he wouldn't be able to see his own back before he shrugged. "I got a little careless. I was stabbed by some flunkie. I think that was when I took out Nakahara."

Aomine frowned at the thought of someone harming Kise, but he remained silent. After all, he had his fair share of scars. "Where else were you hit on the job?"

Kise pulled his left leg up to his chest and ran his fingers across the side of his calf. "Scraped by a bullet." Aomine stared at the thin line before his eyes darted to where Kise's hand pressed against the side of his neck. A small, circular scar stared back him, like an third eye. "Bullet wound. Got shot trying to take out Wakahisa. Remember when I said I went to Paris for a modeling gig?"

Aomine pursed his lips and nodded. 

"Yeah... I was actually in the hospital for this." His fingers brushed over the scar again. "Thought I was gonna die from this one. I was coughing up blood and it hurt so much when I breathed that I almost didn't want to."

A tightness squeezed at Aomine's heart and he lifted a hand to press his fingers over Kise's. "I would've ripped that bastard in half."

Kise chuckled. "You know... thinking of you got me through it. I had to get back home to see you. I was worried you would die without me making dinner for you."

Laughter shook Aomine's body and he bowed his head forward to press his forehead against Kise's. "You're an idiot. I'm more likely to die from your cooking than to die without it."

He laughed harder when Kise scowled and stole a kiss from those pouting lips as he said, "I've got my own battle scars too."

Kise was already running his fingers along the crescent-shaped scar that looked like a smile across his lower stomach. "Knife wound. Pretty deep too."

"I can tell," Kise replied with a frown. 

"I lived, baby. Don't worry."

With a snort, Kise moved his hand to Aomine's, running his thumb over a scar shaped like a ring at the center of Aomine's palm. "Gunshot wound?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Got it when I was younger," Aomine threaded his fingers with Kise and he shook his head. "I was an idiot. Obviously thought I could stop a bullet with my hand."

"You're still an idiot," Kise said with a smile. 

"Yeah?" Aomine squeezed Kise's hand. "Too bad for you then. You're stuck with an idiot."

As Kise leaned forward to steal another kiss, the window to their right shattered and something hard hit the floor, swishing across the carpet until hit the kitchen floor and clacked until it came to a stop against the island. Aomine felt Kise freeze against him and he lifted his head to glance over the bottom of the couch. His eyes scanned the room, found the hole in the window and dragged his gaze across the floor until he found an object he could identify in his sleep.

_Grenade._

"Fuck," he hissed, rolling them off the couch. He grabbed Kise's hand and thrust his shirt at him, barely managing to snag his pants off the floor before taking off through the house. Thankfully the basement door was open and he nearly threw Kise down the stairs in his attempt to get them away from the grenade. 

"Daiki, what's going––"

"Time's up, baby," he breathed. "Looks like we both failed another hit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses.


	16. Neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine and Kise have to face the consequence of failing a hit for the first time in their long careers as assassins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the forever long wait between chapters. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with it up until now! Your comments make my day and fuel my desire to continue this AU ^^
> 
> -V

Kise barely caught himself on the handrail of the staircase that led into their basement after Aomine nearly threw him down the stairs. He'd been given no explanation, but he'd been through enough raids to know that Aomine had seen intruders or worse, an explosive device. Intruders they could take down. Kise had the utmost faith in Aomine's skills next to his own. Explosives were not enemies. They were weapons of war. And they had no hearts with beats to kill.

Aomine's insistent hand against his back shoved him further down the stairs until he felt the cold, slightly damp floor beneath his feet. Their basement had forever been a work in progress. The floor work had been lackluster and often soaked up the moisture from the ground beneath. No amount of complaining on his part had made Aomine step down those stairs to attempt the job himself and he'd never been around enough to give their contractor a call to demand the renovation. Now he regretted his inability to squeeze in a simple phone call as his toes wriggled uncomfortably in the cold and damp.

"Daiki, what did you––"

"Grenade, Ryouta," Aomine muttered, flinging himself toward the unused workbench they had stored down here and pulling box after box off the shelves. He added more clutter to the existing mess and Kise frowned as he toed aside a box that Aomine placed in his way. He was about to question Aomine's frantic search when he heard a latch click open and saw Aomine thrust a small handgun in his direction.

He slowly reached forward, hesitating before he grabbed the gun. "Have these been down here this whole time?"

Aomine's side glance deadpanned and he saw the roll of the eyes seconds before he dropped his hand. "Like you're one to talk. Bet you had that goddamn shotgun hidden under the bed or something."

Kise opened his mouth to protest when his eyes landed on the larger gun that Aomine loaded for himself. He pursed his lips and swatted at the gun that Aomine was shaking at him, silently demanding Kise to take it.

"You're seriously gonna give me the tiny gun?" Aomine turned his head to stare at Kise. "That's a girly gun. I'm not using the girly gun."

Aomine's brow furrowed. "Are you fucking kidding me, Ryouta?" He thrust the small handgun forward again. "It's a goddamn gun. Just use the thing. We don't have time for your fucking size complex right now."

Kise scowled and turned his nose up at the offered gun.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Aomine sighed heavily and pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. "Fine." He caved, as Kise knew he would. "But don't lie and claim this isn't a size complex. We both know I've got the bigger weapon concealed in my––"

Kise snatched the larger pistol from Aomine's grasp and slapped his cheek with his free hand; an effective method of silencing Aomine. He leaned forward, a grin spreading wide across his lips as he breathed, "But we both know I'm better at handling the big guns." He watched as Aomine tilted his face forward, his hot breath ghosting across Kise's lips in a near kiss before Kise pulled away. "Now get up. Let's get out of here."

 

Long ago, the two of them had agreed to build a secret passage leading from their basement to the shed out back. Aomine had told Kise that it would be a good idea to have a safe route out of the house. They were both celebrities, after all. Kise's modeling career had taken off and his fans had been crazy before he went international. Aomine had rabid basketball fans at his heels almost as often as Kise had screaming fangirls in his face. It was a good cover for an escape route if their enemies ever found out where they lived.

As Aomine kicked at the boxes that buried the secret door from sight, he thanked his past self and Kise for agreeing to construction of the passageway. One explosion already rocked the house above and had dust and scraps of wood falling from the ceiling above. Kise held his hand in a tight grip, one that Aomine returned with a squeeze of reassurance every now and then. When he finally managed to find the door and kick it open he pulled Kise in first, keeping their fingers locked as they both dove inside.

He had to briefly holster the gun in the waist of his pants, hoping it wouldn't slide down the leg as he yanked the door shut behind them. He hoped the dust and debris would effectively hide the exit from sight should their attackers find a way into the basement. Kise gave a gentle tug to urge him forward and they quietly made their way down the passage, listening for more explosions and the inevitable gunfire to follow.

They reached the shed in under five minutes and Aomine pulled Kise back to poke his head out first. The shed was empty except for the pieces of his firearms that still lingered on the floor and the tables. With a sigh, he beckoned Kise forward and they pulled themselves out of the passage and into the shed. He saw Kise glance toward the window, his eyes widening when he saw the ruin their home had become. There was barely a structure left and what existed now could hardly pass as a suitable home for anyone. From Aomine's vantage point, he was almost certain their attackers had fled. If they were assailants sent from the agencies they wouldn't linger. Better to leave a mess and no evidence of their existence behind than to be caught and questioned at the scene.

"I think we're in the clear, Ryouta." Silence followed his statement and Aomine stepped forward to place a gentle hand on Kise's shoulder. "We gotta go."

Kise shook his head and remained rooted to the spot. "They destroyed our home," he whispered with another shake of his head.

Aomine's grip on his shoulder tightened as he forcibly turned him away from the wreckage. He tugged Kise forward and met his frown with a kiss. As he pulled back, he noted the surprise in Kise's eyes and said, "I couldn't care less about the fucking package." He gestured toward the destruction out the window. "I care about what's in it. I care about you." He slid his hand down Kise's arm to lace their fingers again, giving a gentle squeeze as he continued, "They can level all the buildings they want. As long as you aren't in them, I don't give a shit."

Kise's face remained a mask of near indifference, but Aomine knew him well enough to see something shift beneath surface of Kise's golden eyes. Kise's head tilted forward in a half-nod and he pressed his forehead against the side of Aomine's. "I guess we'll just have to buy a new one."

Aomine snorted. "Yeah, I guess so." His eyes darted toward the untouched garage, remembering that their cars had been parked in the driveway. He knew, without having to see them, that they would be little more than scrap metal. "Gotta get some new cars too."

Kise chuckled softly. "Well, that might not be so bad. I did have my eyes on the Virage Volante."

Aomine snorted and shook his head as he shouldered open the shed door. "You and those Aston Martins."

"What can I say," Kise shrugged and grinned as they stepped outside, a cool breeze from the coming night tickling the bare skin of his legs. "I like cars that invoke envy in others."

"Speaking of car envy," Aomine started. "Should we go to Tadashi's? We gotta get some real clothes and figure shit out. Pretty sure he mentioned that they were gonna be gone today and tomorrow."

"You actually remember something like that?" Kise's eyes widened almost comically as his voice rose with that teasing lilt Aomine both loved and hated. "Here I thought you used your memory for nothing but basketball and food."

Aomine bumped their shoulders together and rolled his eyes. He'd missed the easy banter that had always been signature between them. "Yeah, yeah. Sometimes I can pretend to give a shit."

Kise smiled and leaned into Aomine, guiding them toward Tadashi's house. "Keiko had mentioned visiting her parents for a few days. So the house should be free."

"I'm sure Tadashi's clothes will fit us," Aomine said, more to himself than to Kise. "He's not too much smaller than we are." He paused and cocked his head to the side as they made their way across Tadashi's lawn. "Or maybe he's bigger than us."

"You see him outside every morning, Daiki." Kise sighed. "I can't believe you can't remember this."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up." Aomine released Kise's hand to drop to his knees in front of the door. He slowly disassembled his firearm and removed the thin roll pin that holds in the trigger housing, lifting it up for Kise to see. "Think this'll be thin enough?" He didn't wait for an answer before slipping one end into the keyhole.

He'd broken his way into more buildings than he could remember, picking locks and jimmying windows open here and there. He angled the roll pin to the side and heard the telltale click of the lock. As he pulled the roll pin out the knob turned. Aomine's eyes widened. He took a step back to stand beside Kise as the door swung open.

"Daiki? Ryouta?" Tadashi stood in front of them in a pair of black and grey plaid pajamas pants and a plain black shirt to match. He eyed them both with more than a little skepticism, his gaze running up and down their bruised and battered bodies lacking proper clothing to be outside in the chill of night. As he ran his fingers through his disheveled black hair he said, "You know, if you wanted to come in all you had to do was knock."

~~~

"Aren't you supposed to be at your mother in law's?"

Tadashi's eyes shifted from Kise back to Aomine and a sheepish grin spread across his lips. He laughed, that nervous kind of laugh that Aomine hated hearing and said, "Actually, I have a lot of work to do." He sighed and glanced at the kitchen table. His open laptop, screen still lit, sat beside a large blueprint spread out on the surface of the table. "Keiko didn't want me working around her parents because she says I kinda go into my own little world. So she took the kids and left me here."

Aomine tried not to roll his eyes. He'd never been all that interested in the mundane problems of other people's lives. Kise had always been the better one at pretending to care about their neighbors. He vaguely knew about Tadashi and Keiko's children. The oldest brat had kicked more than one ball into their yard and tried to sell him cookies or candies on too many occasions to count. He was aware of Tadashi's work as an architect, but couldn't care less about the actual finished pieces. Keiko was a mystery to him and he was quite certain she wasn't a big fan of his. He probably came off as a villain next to Kise's sparkling charm.

"So..." Tadashi eyed the gun that Aomine had placed upon the kitchen island. "What brings you guys here so late in the evening?"

"You want the truth?" Kise asked from the fridge, where he pulled out two water bottles and tossed one to Aomine. "Or do you want me to keep you in the dark, because honestly it's safer if you don't know everything."

Tadashi's eyes widened and Aomine could see him trying to swallow past the lump that had probably grown in his throat. "Well... if it's safer..." His eyes fell to the second gun that Kise placed beside Aomine's. "I mean, I've never seen you guys with weapons before. I was just curious why a model and a basketball player would need to carry around––"

"Tadashi," Kise tutted and shook his head. "I thought you wanted the safe version."

"You don't need to know," Aomine added, leveling a warning gaze at Tadashi who shrank back into his seat.

"Right... gotta stay in the dark." Tadashi nodded to himself and pulled his eyes away from the firearms resting in front of him. "Did you guys... er––did you need something?"

"Clothes," Kise replied, taking another sip from the water bottle. "We need to borrow some clothes." Aomine watched him glance around the room before adding, "And we might need to use your phone."

Tadashi nodded a little too quickly and gestured toward the stairs. "You know where our bedroom is," He glanced at Aomine for a brief second before returning his gaze to Kise. "Take whatever you need."

Kise smiled, that fake smile that everyone else received. Only Aomine knew it wasn't real. "You're too kind, Tadashi. I promise we'll get you some new clothes when we return." He turned to head up the stairs.

"When you return from where? I didn't know you guys had anything planned for...." Tadashi trailed off as he watched Kise bend forward to tickle under the chin of their pet cat who had mysteriously appeared on the steps.

Tadashi's eyes widened and his jaw dropped and for a second Aomine thought it was because of the bruises that blossomed on Kise's pale skin. Then he looked past Tadashi's awestruck face and saw that Kise's ass was barely covered, half of it exposed as he bent forward. Aomine's shirts always were a little too short on Kise to be considered a legitimate boyfriend shirt. Without wasting a beat, Aomine snatched the handgun off the table and pressed it under Tadashi's chin, using the weapon the urge Tadashi's eyes away from Kise and onto him.

"Where do you think you're looking, Tadashi?"

"I–I–I–" Tadashi stuttered and his hands shook as he raised them in the air on either side of his head. "I was just... I didn't mean... I'm––I was..."

"You have Keiko," Aomine reminded him.

"I–I know that, Daiki," Tadashi swallowed hard and stared at the gun pressed to his throat. "I know that."

"Then keep your eyes off of what's mine."

Tadashi frantically nodded and whispered rapid apologies until Aomine lowered the gun with a satisfied smirk. He placed it back on the island countertop and watched in mild amusement as Tadashi visibly relaxed. There was still a tension in his shoulders though, Aomine noted; a tension that left Aomine on edge. Tadashi's eyes continued to dart between the gun and his face.

Aomine kept a firm grip on the butt of his firearm. Tadashi had never been anything more than a clumsy neighbor, but fear made people do stupid things. Aomine didn't like the look of fear in Tadashi's eyes.

"So, Tadashi." Tadashi jumped when addressed. Aomine had to fight back a grin. He always did like getting into people's heads without trying. "What're you working on over there?" He gestured toward the kitchen table with a nod of his head.

Tadashi's eyes darted toward the blueprint for a fraction of a second. "Oh, just... uh––just some new housing layouts." He ran his fingers through his hair and Aomine noticed the way his hands shook. "Nothing special."

Aomine pushed his seat away from the island and stood to take a step toward the kitchen table. "Mind if I take a look? Ryouta and I are kind of in the market for a new house and––"

"No!" Tadashi nearly shouted as he jumped out of his seat and waved his arms in front of his body. "No... I––" He moved between Aomine and the blueprint, trying for a sheepish grin. It only made suspicion roil in the pit of Aomine's stomach. "It's... a really rough draft." Tadashi trailed off, his eyes darting back toward the gun still firmly grasped in Aomine's hand. "Doesn't even look like a house right now."

Aomine's eyes narrowed, but he returned to his seat at the island and said, "That's a damn shame. Heard from Ryouta that you do some pretty decent work."

A shaky laugh left Tadashi's lips and he palmed his nape in what appeared to be mock embarrassment. "It's not that decent or anything, but I'd be happy to discuss designs of a new home for you two."

Aomine nodded slowly. "Yeah," he replied, carefully watching Tadashi's mannerisms for a sign that his gut feeling had justification. "A new home."

"We'll be sad to see you go, of course." Tadashi continued and his smile softened. Alarm bells went off in Aomine's head, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. "Especially Keiko. She's grown so attached to Ryouta." His eyes were on the gun again as Aomine's finger's flexed, tightening their grip. "And... I mean, I'll be sad too. Of course I'll be sad too. I'll––" He took a deep shaky breath and Aomine finally pulled his gun into his lap with a resigned sigh.

He usually never ignored his gut feeling, but all he could sense from Tadashi was fear. He was like a cornered rabbit and every grin Aomine threw his way was dripping with murderous intent, like he was the wolf ready to pounce. He tapped the fingers of his free hand against the table and patted the gun in his lap.

"Listen, man. Didn't mean to scare you. Sorry about pointing a gun at you."

"I'm not."

The familiar voice made Aomine jump. His eyes widened as he looked past Tadashi's shocked face to find Kise standing behind him, fully clothed with a gun pointed at the back of Tadashi's head. Maybe those alarm bells weren't just for show.

"R-Ryouta..." Tadashi slowly turned his head to the side so he could see Kise and the barrel of the gun in his peripheral. "What are you––"

"Don't play dumb," Kise snapped and looked past Tadashi to meet Aomine's eyes. Without needing the verbal demand, Aomine slowly pulled his gun from his lap to level it at Tadashi's face. "I saw the note about the bounties. I found a gun hidden under your mattress."

Tadashi's face paled. "You looked through my-–"

"Not too wise to leave things like this laying around," Kise tossed a piece of paper in Tadashi's direction and Aomine caught a glimpse before Tadashi's snatched it out of the air. He'd seen their names; both his and Kise's. He hadn't seen the price, but he didn't need to. If someone put a bounty on their heads, it wasn't going to be chump change.

"How long have you known what we do?" Aomine hissed, fighting the urge to pull the trigger.

Tadashi's head jerked from side to side. "I didn't..." Aomine lifted himself from the chair and leaned across the table, bringing the gun closer to Tadashi's face. "I swear, I didn't know until I got the letter about the bounties."

Kise took slow, careful steps toward the kitchen table. Aomine leaned to the side to get a better look as Kise seemingly pulled a knife out of thin air and swung it down into the table. It lodged in the wood directly in the center of the blueprint.

Aomine didn't have to look at it to know what it was. "New housing plan, my ass," he grumbled, his lips thinning into a frown. "I should've fucking known. I felt it." He jerked the gun toward Tadashi, satisfied with the way he flinched in response. "You're so full of shit. Does Keiko know about this?"

Tadashi's lower lip quivered as he shook his head.

"Is she your real wife?" Kise asked as he yanked the knife out of the table. "Or is all of this just a set up?"

"No... No, it's not a set up." Tadashi shook his head again, quicker this time. "She's my wife. Those are my kids. I knew who you two were the moment I saw how high the bounties were. I knew I didn't stand a chance, but do you know what that money could buy for my family? I couldn't think of anything else and I just––"

"Just thought you'd blow up your neighbors?" Aomine finished for him, a sneer spreading across his lips.

"I should've thought of it that way..." Tadashi muttered. "But I––"

He drew in a sharp breath as Kise stepped up close behind him, pressing the blade against his throat. "Enough of the small talk," Kise hissed as he pulled the knife back enough to toss it in the air. Aomine watched the motion of the knife, a smirk spreading across his lips when Kise effortlessly caught it by the handle before pressing it to Tadashi's neck once again. There was something so appealing about watching Kise handle a knife. "You answered my question. I don't need a life story." Aomine's lips twitched again as he watched Tadashi's adam's apple bob in with each labored swallow. "I only want to know one thing and then I'll let you go. I'm not a home wrecker. I like Keiko and your kids deserve to grow up with their father in their life. So I'll ask my question and then release you. But if you so much as turn around, I will shoot you in the head. Understand?"

Tadashi's head dipped in the barest hint of a nod.

"Good," Kise increased the pressure on the blade, pressing hard enough to sink into the skin without breaking through. "Now tell me... who are you working for?"

"I'm not––" Tadashi hissed as a thin line of blood ran down his neck.

"Ah, ah, ah." Kise tutted against his ear. "It's a simple question. Give me a simple answer and you can run off to be with your family. I'll ask again, Tadashi. Who are you working for?"

Silence followed the question, permeated only by Tadashi's ragged, shaky breaths. When Aomine thought Kise was going to lose his patience and plunge the knife straight through his throat, Tadashi finally spoke.

"Fukuda..." he rasped, fingers clenched around the edge of the island countertop. "Fukuda Sogo."

True to his word, Aomine watched Kise pull the knife back before stepping away from Tadashi. They both watched as he slowly made his way out of the house, listening intently for the click of the door to signal the finality of his departure.

Aomine dropped the gun on the island and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fuck... Of all the goddamn people..."

Kise nodded. "You know, if Fukuda knows about the bounties..."

"All of the other agencies do too," Aomine finished for him.

Kise nodded again and stepped around the island to snatch the phone off the receiver. He turned to toss a shirt in Aomine's direction and nodded toward the bottom of the staircase. "Got some shoes over there too. They should fit." He stared at the phone in his hand and frowned. "We've gotta get a hold of someone." He glanced up at Aomine, a hint of desperation mixed in with the apathy he was trying to exude. "Who can we even call Daiki? Everyone we know that would help is probably ready to tear our heads off for a couple million."

With a sigh, Aomine extended his hand and tapped his fingers against his palm. "Give me the phone." He could sense Kise's reluctance, so he stepped forward to grab the phone himself. "I've got an idea." He punched in a familiar number and lifted the phone to his ear. He recognized the familiar, apologetic voice on the other end as he barked into the mouthpiece, "Get me through to him." Stammered protests followed his demand. "Goddamnit, Sakurai. I'm probably dead either way. Just send me over there."

He glanced at Kise, noting the confusion that furrowed his brows.

"You know how we were talking about the mafia numbers?" Aomine addressed Kise while hold music hummed against his ear. "How you said you took out two and three?"

Kise slowly nodded and Aomine could see the way his eyes narrowed. He knew Kise didn't like where this was going.

"I'm trying to call the guy who was given the order to kill me if I failed." He gestured toward Kise with his free hand. "And clearly I failed."

"Daiki, why the hell would you––"

"Because I think I can get him to help us with the right incentive."

He watched Kise's face scrunch in disbelief. "And you think you have the right incentive?"

Aomine shrugged. "I sure as hell hope so. Because if I can't convince him... he won't hesitate to kill us both."

Kise flipped the knife between his fingers. "You don't think we can take him?"

"You took out Two from afar, right?"

Kise nodded. "He was known for being pretty ruthless. It was easier that way."

"One was known for being worse." Aomine sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, phone still pressed against his cheek. "Imayoshi killed One in head to head combat. He took him on because it made things more 'interesting'. Maimed the guy so completely you could barely tell who the hell he was except for the ring still on his finger and the tattoo still visible on his neck. Then he walked out of there with a smile on his face, so wide you would've thought it was a kid coming out of a candy shop." He saw Kise visibly shudder. "Imayoshi doesn't kill because it's his job. He kills because it's what he does... it's what he is. A killer."

"Well, shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! I'll swear I'll try not to leave such a massive gap between chapters again. 
> 
> -V


	17. Let's Make a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine knows it all comes down to the way he words his suggestion. Proposing to Kise was easy. Proposing an entirely different thing to Imayoshi would be much more challenging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sincerely sorry about the wait for this and I hope the massive gap between chapters hasn't dissuaded anyone from reading! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> -V

"Are you sure this is going to work, Daiki?"

Aomine glanced to the side. Kise was staring at his reflection in the elevator doors, worrying his teeth into his bottom lip. Aomine's fingers itched to reach up and brush across Kise's chin to draw attention to the nervous habit, but he wasn't sure the action would be welcome. It wasn't as though a simple touch could erase the inevitable. He knew he was asking Kise to walk to his potential death. Even though Aomine had the utmost confidence in their combined skills, he knew Imayoshi was unpredictable. He didn't have to explain that to Kise for him to understand. 

"Imayoshi craves power, even though he likes to pretend he doesn't," Aomine replied, bumping his shoulder against Kise's in an attempt to calm his nerves.

He saw Kise frown. "Daiki," Kise sighed and leaned away from Aomine. "That doesn't answer my question. You aren't sure, are you?"

Aomine frowned in return. If the answer involved one hundred percent surety, he'd have to say no. He was never certain when it came to Imayoshi. 

Kise ran his hands through his hair and sighed again.

"Ryouta..." Aomine reached out to touch Kise's shoulder, but grasped at air. 

Kise shook his head. "Daiki, stop dancing around my questions. You've done this for years whenever you don't want to tell me the truth." He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at the numbers as they lit up one by one. They were nearing the top of the building. "I'm not fragile. I'm not stupid. Stop treating me like I am. I know the possible outcomes."

Aomine grit his teeth. Were they really going to have an argument like this right now? "Then why do you even ask?"

"Is it too much to ask for you to just tell me the truth?" Kise gestured to the space between them. "We know the biggest secret now. Just be honest."

"I wasn't being dishonest," Aomine countered with a frustrated shake of his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and scowled.

"There you go again."

"Ryouta––"

"Daiki, just admit we could die from this." 

Aomine went rigid. Kise's blunt response made what little confidence he had in his plan sink a bit further.

"I'm not scared," Kise said, taking a step forward. "I had already resigned myself to the possibility that you could kill me." He took another step forward, nearly pressing his chest against Aomine's. "I think I have the right to know if there's a possibility that our lives have a new deadline." 

It took a moment for Aomine to react. He stared into Kise's eyes, taking in the fierce resolve, the understanding, the acceptance. No, Kise wasn't stupid, but he was just a reckless as ever. But Aomine wouldn't have it any other way.

With a sigh of resignation he pressed his forehead against Kise's and admitted, "Fine. If he doesn't take to the suggestion, he'll probably kill us. Unless he has some reason to keep us alive, which could be worse. He's a sadistic bastard. But I still think I can win him over."

Kise's lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile. "You know, you should've given me all the details so I could pitch it to him." He brushed his fingers across the back of Aomine's hand. "You never were all that great at giving speeches."

Aomine snorted and grabbed Kise's hand, giving it a brief squeeze before stepping back. "I'm gonna be great. You watch." 

"And if he doesn't agree?"

The elevator bell sounded, alerting them to the fact that they had reached their desired floor. Aomine curled his fingers into his palm and thrust his fist forward. "Then we give him hell."

~~~

"Aomine-san, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tried to tell him that you were here to talk, but you know how he is and he––"

Aomine raised a hand and tried to wave Sakurai away, but Sakurai stumbled into him and mumbled a few more apologies before gesturing toward the door of Imayoshi's office. 

"He's..." Sakurai nervously glanced between the doorway and Aomine's face. "I don't know what he's doing. I'm sorry, Aomine-san. I tried."

Aomine shook his head as if to forgive Sakurai for a slight that didn't need forgiving when he caught a glimpse of a shadow in the doorway. He took a step back and raised his arms on either side of his head before Imayoshi stepped into the light, Aomine's favored Browning tight in his grasp. 

"Step away, Sakurai," Imayoshi purred, twitching the gun to the side. 

Sakurai's eyes widened and he stared at Aomine, another apology written in his wavering gaze. He slowly backed away, refusing to turn around and face a man Aomine was certain Sakurai never wanted to look at over the barrel of a gun. He heard Imayoshi chuckle as Sakurai disappeared into the next room and Aomine pulled his eyes away from Sakurai's retreat to meet the blinding shade of Imayoshi's glasses. He thought it was a bit cliché for the light to catch Imayoshi's glasses that way, creating a barrier between himself and Aomine. But the appearance was effective. He felt the intended shiver run down his spine. 

"Imayoshi," Aomine breathed, taking a step to the side. Imayoshi's outstretched arm followed him, keeping the barrel of the gun perfectly aligned with Aomine's chest. "We need to talk." 

All of a sudden, Imayoshi drew another firearm and angled it to Aomine's side. He didn't have to turn around to know that Kise had drawn his own weapon. 

With a barely concealed roll of his eyes he glanced back and hissed a reprimand of, "Ryouta."

"Daiki," Kise growled back, gun resolutely leveled at Imayoshi's head.

"Drop the goddamn gun," he demanded. 

"I will when that bastard does."

Imayoshi tilted his head back and Aomine saw the sparkle of excitement in his eyes. "Oh, you're a feisty one, aren't you?" A wicked grin slowly spread across his lips. "I can see why Aomine is so interested in you. I wouldn't mind testing just how feisty you are in––"

Aomine drew his own gun before Imayoshi could finish his sentence. "Don't you fucking dare."

"Combat," Imayoshi finished with a smirk. "I was going to say combat, Aomine." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "My, my, you're so touchy. I wonder what has you so on edge."

"Oh, I don't know," Aomine grit his teeth and took a step forward, his finger itching to pull the trigger.

"Maybe because you're standing there ready to kill us," Kise finished for him, following Aomine's example and taking a step forward. 

"Only because you're failures," Imayoshi replied, using the guns to gesture between the two of them. "The fact that you are both standing here is proof of that. Your reputations are tarnished. It's a shame. You both had so much potential and now..." He shifted his feet and steadied his hands. "You both have to die."

"Imayoshi!" Aomine shouted, tightening his grip on the handle of his gun. "What if we didn't have to die? What if you had all the authority to make that decision?"

Imayoshi's eyes narrowed, but the fatal pressure he was threatening to put on the triggers loosened.

"You give us orders," Aomine continued, taking the silence as tacit encouragement to offer more information. "but you relay them from someone else."

"The coach," Imayoshi confirmed with a nod of his head. His eyes darted between Aomine and Kise, but his arms never wavered. "He gives all the orders."

Aomine nodded. He was sifting through all the information he had pulled together in his head on their brief ride to the office and found that he didn't need any of it to win this argument. He could practically see the puzzle fitting together in Imayoshi's head. Imayoshi had always been too smart, too observant. "But what if you didn't have to take orders, Imayoshi?"

"What if you were the one who made all the executive decisions?" Kise stepped in. He took a careful step forward, ignoring the dangerous way Imayoshi's hand jerked toward him. "From what I've heard, you do all the work. You even help the coach determine who the next target is. Really, what does he do that you don't do for him?"

Imayoshi's brow rose, but he remained silent.

"Imayoshi," Aomine gestured toward the doorway to Imayoshi's office. "That's as much a room fit for a leader as the coaches office, where ever the fuck that is. It's your expertise that we follow, not anyone else's. I'm pretty damn sure everyone would choose you over the coach if given the chance to make such a choice." He was also pretty damn sure that choice would be made more out of fear than actual loyalty, but sometimes he was certain Imayoshi couldn't tell the difference between the two.

Silence stretched on and Aomine let it engulf the space between them, let the unspoken proposal hang in the air. 

Imayoshi's lips twitched into the barest hint of smirk. "So what exactly are you suggesting, Aomine?" 

"I think you already know," Kise said, lowering his gun a fraction of an inch.

Aomine grit his teeth and fought the urge to tell Kise not to let his guard down. Even though he was almost positive Imayoshi would agree, he didn't trust that small percentage of doubt that still plagued the back of his mind. 

"Are you aware of the measures the coach has taken to remain hidden? To remain safe?"

"And are you aware of what our combined skill set is capable of?" Kise's voice rose until it was pitched with a hint of desperation. This was, after all, their only chance at survival. "Not just you, or me." Aomine glanced over his shoulder and saw Kise nod in his general direction. "Or even Daiki. Your entire team. My entire team. Do you know how deadly all of us could be together?"

"Aaaah," Imayoshi extended the syllable in a soft sigh. "You intend to unite our assassins and hope we can learn the meaning of teamwork?"

Kise scowled. "I want us to work together to put you on top."

It took a few moments for the words to sink in, but Aomine finally saw the way Imayoshi's eyes crinkled at the corners, the way his glasses caught the light. His lips curled into that devilish smile that always made Aomine cringe, but he knew it was a good sign. That doubt that itched at the back of his mind was slowly beginning to dissipate. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he felt much more confident with Imayoshi on their side.

"I won't deny that I like the sound of that," Imayoshi admitted, his smile spreading into a grin. "I really only have one condition and I sincerely doubt you'll deny me this one little thing." 

Aomine pursed his lips and shook his head. "What the hell, Imayoshi You're not in any position to be making––"

"Name it," Kise interrupted, shooting a look at Aomine when he glanced over his shoulder. It was a look he'd seen far too many times during the past five years. He knew it said, _Shut up and let me talk, Daiki_.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes and glanced at Imayoshi whose tongue flicked out to wet his lips as he whispered, "We kill them all. Every last one of the coaches." His grip noticeably tightened on the handles of the guns. "If you're going to put me on top, there will be no other competition." 

"Fine," Kise easily agreed and Aomine nodded his consent. That had been their intention from the very beginning. He chose to omit that information for fear of losing Imayoshi's interest with a proposal of that magnitude.

"Then it's better if we get everyone involved," Aomine started. "Teamwork might not be such a bad thing if––"

A gun cocked behing them and Aomine froze when a recognizable voice said, "I really am sorry Daiki.... Ryouta..." 

Aomine grit his teeth and slowly turned his head. Kise's face contorted with a look akin to that of pain. Tadashi stood a few feet behind Kise, a handgun steadily pointed at the back of his head. 

"I know I said I'd give up, but I have a job to do. And that doesn't involve you leaving here alive." Tadashi's hand wasn't shaking this time. There was no hesitation in the way he pointed the gun, no frightened timbre to the sound of his voice. Aomine could see every inch of the assassin he was in his confident stance and the way his finger flirted with the trigger.

Aomine swung his body around to level his own handgun at Tadashi's face, but a shot from behind him made him jump and his eyes widened as he watched Tadashi's body fall to the floor. 

* * *

 

Kise's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open as he stared at Imayoshi. 

He saw Aomine's face fall as he took a step toward him. "Ryouta, are you––"

"He shot him," Kise whispered, taking a few steps forward. His arm remained outstretched, gun still at the ready.

Aomine stopped Kise with an arm around his waist. Kise paused and bristled. The sight before him drained the color from his face and he saw Aomine glance at him out of the corner of his eye. 

"Daiki, about what you said about Imayoshi...."

"He's not a threat, Kise." Aomine tried to reassure him. "He's––" He saw Aomine turn his head enough to see Imayoshi's face and Kise knew that he understood the reason for his sudden fear. His face blanched and he shook his head and reitereated, "He's not a threat." Kise wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.

Imayoshi's eyes were sheltered by the glare of his glasses. His knuckles were white from the grip he exerted on the guns and the grin that he'd been sporting only seconds ago had disappeared. His lips pressed into a line so thin they were barely visible on his face and his arms shook, and not from exertion. Kise could almost feel the barely concealed rage that ran off him in waves, so palpable he was afraid to breathe. Kasamatsu's anger was nothing in comparison to this silent fury. He preferred the yelling and the outright abuse to this.

"Sakurai," Imayoshi snapped. Kise heard a crash from the opposite room and the apologetic man that had greeted them when they first came in appeared in the doorway, his face whiter than Kise's.

"Y-yes, Imayoshi-san?"

"How did he get in here?"

Sakurai glanced at Tadashi's crumpled body on the floor and his eyes widened. "I––" He shook his head. "No one alerted to me to his presence. No alarms went off, Imayoshi-san. I swear, I was monitoring––"

"But he's clearly here, Sakurai," Imayoshi lifted his head and smiled. Kise leaned against Aomine and fought against the instinct that told him to shoot. Every nerve in his body told him that Imayoshi was a threat, despite what Aomine said, and seeing the way he looked at Sakurai only confirmed that suspicion.

Sakurai dipped his head in a shaky nod. "I can see that. You're right, Imayoshi-san. I'm sorry. I should've been more––"

Another shot echoed in the room, making everyone but Imayoshi flinch. Another one followed, and then another, and another. Kise finally turned his head to look at Tadashi's body. He grimaced and gripped at Aomine's arm. It was the first time he'd ever been effected by the sight of blood. Tadashi's face was unrecognizable. His body nothing more than a hunk of flesh. His eyes darted to the tattoo on his forearm that read Fukuda Sogo, confirming his admission of who he worked for when they'd encountered him earlier.

"Fukuda," Imayoshi hissed. Kise pulled his eyes away from what was left of Tadashi. "Fukuda has been given _my_ hit?"

Sakurai darted back into the room he came from and Kise could hear the sound of fingers furiously smacking against a keyboard.

"Daiki," Imayoshi's eyes rose to meet Kise's insistent gaze. "Ryouta." He shivered. He didn't like the way his name sounded rolling off Imayoshi's forked tongue. "Were you aware of this," he gestured toward Tadashi's body. "of someone else being on your trail?" Kise opened his mouth to respond and Imayoshi loosened his grip on one of the guns to hold up a single finger. "I'd be careful when you choose your words this time, model-san. What interest I had before might have changed in light of this new development. And..." He leveled the gun at Kise's face again. "I'm still armed and ready to shoot you in your pretty little face if you so much as try to utter a lie in my presence."

Kise heard Aomine swallow hard and he had to do the same to dispel the lump that had formed in his throat. "We knew about him," Kise admitted, refusing to acknowledge Tadashi's dead body behind them. 

Aomine turned, his arm remained locked around Kise's waist. "We knew about that guy, Imayoshi," Aomine confirmed, giving Kise's hip a squeeze in warning. "But he didn't mention anyone else. If all of Fukuda has been offered the same bounty then we don't know a damn thing about it. I swear, we would've mentioned it." He could feel Aomine's reluctance when he glanced back at Tadashi. "We thought we'd taken care of him."

Imayoshi's eyes narrowed, but he slowly lowered the guns to his sides. "My agreeable disposition in regards to this proposal of yours is contingent upon you following through with your promise." He glanced at Sakurai as he returned to the room and said, "What have you learned?"

Sakurai bowed and muttered an apology before saying, "Fukuda knows about the hit. They all do." He rubbed his hands together as his eyes darted every which way. "And... I could be wrong... The source might not be credible. I'm sorry, I––"

"Sakurai," Imayoshi's voice conveyed its intended warning.

"Right... I'm sorry." Sakurai bowed again and continued, "It looks like they were hired by the coaches. By..." Kise watched as Sakurai bit into his bottom lip and shook his head as if he couldn't believe the information. "By all of them. They've been working for them since before we even found out about the computer coding, before we sent Aomine-san out to get it.... and before Kise-san and Aomine-san were given each other as their next hit. This has been––"

Imayoshi's grip tightened enough for one of the guns to go off, startling Sakurai into silence. Kise was slowly putting the pieces together in his head, but it seemed as though Imayoshi had reached a conclusion before he did. "They had no intention of letting either one of you live." 

Aomine gasped beside him and Kise knew he'd finally caught up. "Then what about––"

"We're all expendable, Aomine." Imayoshi glanced at Sakurai and nodded his head. Sakurai's eyes widened in his understanding and he disappeared once again. "I don't know what they were intending, but if I had to guess, the thought of having a married couple of assassins was too much of a liability for them." He gestured to all of them. "For this very reason. If you had found out sooner, before you were given the same hit, would you have tried to kill one another? Or would you have worked together?"

Neither Kise nor Aomine responded. The answer was clear. They had established their mutual understanding of their positions after they'd accepted their failures.

"I'm taking your silence to mean you'd choose the latter." Imayoshi tilted his head to the side. "Once you found out your skills as a team were much deadlier than alone, where would your train of thought go? As of now, you are nothing more than pawns. If the coaches tell you to fail a hit, you fail the hit. If they tell you kill your loved ones, you do it." Imayoshi's lips curled into a smirk. "If they tell you to die, then you die."

Kise felt Aomine's grip on his hip tighten once again. He pressed a reassuring hand against his arm and nodded for Imayoshi to continue. 

"As I said, we are expendable. Our skills matter little to them when they can train new, more obedient dogs to take over once we've been eliminated." Imayoshi tapped the barrel of one of the guns against the side of his head. "And how long do you think it would have taken for the two of you to realize that? No one wants to be on the wrong end of the leash. If you two had known about your shared profession earlier there is a chance this scenario could have played out much sooner than right now." 

"They feared rebellion because of our relationship?" Kise finally asked, glancing at Aomine to confirm that he'd understood it in the same way. He could see the way Aomine clenched his jaw and knew he'd been been aboard the same train of thought.

"Something to that effect," Imayoshi nodded. "And clearly they wouldn't have been wrong." His lips stretched in that same smile he'd sported before. Kise tried not to grimace. He didn't know Imayoshi well enough, but he was almost certain nothing good came from a smile like that.

"If we've already been branded as disobedient dogs," Aomine started, drawing their attention. "then it's more of a reason to bite the fucking hands of the coaches who trained us."

Imayoshi laughed, a sound that began as a soft whisper and rose to something Kise could only describe as a cackle of amusement. "Yes, Aomine. We'll bite the hands and tear them all apart." Sakurai returned, followed by the few other members of Touou's elite assassins. Imayoshi glanced at them, his smile widening. "Are you all ready for some team building?"

Each member shifted, clearly uncomfortable with Imayoshi's excitement.

"Imayoshi," Kise took a step forward, out of Aomine's grasp. "There is one more thing you should know."

Imayoshi inclined his head, silently encouraging Kise to continue.

"I can promise you I won't contest your claim to the top position amongst these assassins," He gestured toward the members of Touou and then to himself and Aomine. "But I can't promise my senpai won't. After all, he's the one who got past all your security to break us into your building."

Silence stretched thin between them and Aomine grabbed Kise's wrist to pull him back. "Ryouta," he hissed against his ear. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Imayoshi's head dipped forward and his shoulders shook. A laugh started low in the back of his throat, gradually rising to something nearing hysteria.

"Nothing wrong with a little friendly competition," Kise replied, second guessing his response when he caught a dangerous gleam in Imayoshi's eyes when he finally lifted his head.

"Was he now?" Imayoshi purred as he holstered his guns. His fingers tapped against the handles as he took slow steps forward. The rest of the Touou assassins reluctantly followed and Kise encouraged Aomine to turn and do the same. As Imayoshi passed them, he heard him speak and had to suppress another shudder. His voice was shaking with excitement, barely more than a breathless whisper.

"Let's go to Kaijou."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter lacked the action that past few chapters have provided, but there's always an eye to a storm, right? Everything's gotta calm down before shit can hit the fan. I hope you guys still enjoyed it! Thank you for being so patient with these updates. ^^
> 
> -V


	18. Kaijou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple agreement from Kasamatsu and the rest of Kaijou would be nice after Aomine and Kise's struggle to get to where they are, but they should know by now that nothing is ever simple; not when they don't have all the facts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's patience and continued readership makes this fic possible, so I want to thank you all for that. ^^
> 
> Hope you enjoy this installment!
> 
> -V

Kasamatsu had a knife to Imayoshi's throat seconds after they finished relaying the plan to him. "What the fuck are you thinking going along with this?"

Imayoshi took a half step back in his surprise. He masked the shock with a soft chuckle and a barely perceptible shake of his head. "I see where Kise learned his knife wielding skills."

Kise saw Kasamatsu's eyes narrow as he shifted his grip on the hilt of the knife. "Kise _is_ better with knives," Kasamatsu agreed with a jerky nod. "But..." He whipped his arm back, streaking the tip of the blade through Imayoshi's sleeve, leaving it hanging off his shoulder, his arm bare. "I'm better with hand to hand combat."

Imayoshi's brow rose and he didn't even try to conceal the smirk that twitched at the corners of his lips. "Are you now?" A full blown grin flashed his teeth at Kasamatsu as he breathed, "So you're better with your hands?"

Kise's eyes took in the way Kasamatsu's hands balled into fists and he fought back a smile of his own. He could feel Aomine's hesitation beside him in the way his heat came and left as he rocked back and forth. He obviously couldn't tell whether to step in or leave them be. 

"Ryouta..." Aomine hissed against his ear. "What the fuck is––"

Raising a hand to silence Aomine, Kise shook his head before he could finish. "Just let it play out." He turned to Aomine with a grin. "Besides, it's more fun this way."

Aomine's scowl said he thought otherwise, but he leaned back and ceased his indecisive rocking. The remainder of the Touou assassins stood back and observed, silent and wary. Kise figured they had just as much trouble comprehending the fact that someone would stand up to Imayoshi the way Kasamatsu did, but he expected this from the very start. Kasamatsu was an excellent assassin, but he prided himself on his caution. If they had pitched the idea to Kasamatsu first, it would have taken much more convincing and he knew they would still be here, waiting for the answer they were seeking. Kasamatsu would see it as willingly walking to his death when Imayoshi saw it as an opportunity. 

Though he didn't know much about Imayoshi besides what he had been told and what he observed, Kise knew enough about his position to put him on the same level as Kasamatsu. If someone with equal experience could agree, no matter how shady his motives, then Kise believed it might be a little easier to convince Kasamatsu. The fact that his senpai had a knife to Imayoshi's throat was proof enough that he respected Imayoshi's position. 

"Daiki," Kise reached back and closed his fingers around Aomine's forearm. He pulled Aomine against his side and gesture forward with a nod of his head. "Watch."

"Why the hell should I go along with this?" Kasamatsu snapped.

Imayoshi's brow rose as he steepled his fingers in front of his chest, almost touching Kasamatsu, but not quite. "You don't strike me as the type of person to sit by and wait for your death sentence."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, as well as I do, that the Coaches have every intention of disposing of each and every one of us should our usefulness run its course."

Kise stared at Kasamatsu, waiting for a reaction. He saw Kasamatsu's lip press into a thin line, his thick brows furrowed. He was weighing his options and this is the point Kise wanted to reach. There was only one option that gave them any chance at a real life.

"I need to talk to you," Kasamatsu hissed, gesturing toward Imayoshi with a nod of his head. "My office. Now."

Imayoshi's eyes lit up and his lips curled into a devilish smirk. "Your office? You know, you should've said you wanted to get me alone from the very beginning. We could have skipped the formalities and moved on to the real _business_."

"Shut up," Kasamatsu snapped. "Are you coming or not?"

"Well, I'm sure you could make me."

Kise snickered as Kasamatsu glared at the lot of them before disappearing into his office in a huff.

Imayoshi turned to them with a shrug of his shoulders. The action claimed innocence, but the grin on his face said otherwise. "Duty calls."

"Convince him, Imayoshi," Kise said when Imayoshi paused in the doorway. "We need him on our side."

"Oh, I know," Imayoshi glanced over his shoulder, his glasses naturally catching the light. "I have every intention of having him on my side."

~~~~

Kise sighed as Kasamatsu and Imayoshi disappeared. He wasn't sure if their little pow wow would be a good thing or not. Despite their disappearance, the tension in the room remained. He glanced at Aomine and watched as he palmed his nape with a shake of his head.

"Didn't expect that shit..." Aomine muttered, staring at the door to Kasamatsu's office. "But I guess it's good if they talk about it, right?"

He turned to Kise for confirmation. Kise took a step forward and grabbed Aomine's hand. A part of him longed to lean forward and steal a kiss for reassurance and another part of him cautioned against the action. They might have made amends, and more than a bit of mess, after their scuffle, but there were still questions lingering in the back of his mind that made him hesitate.

Aomine must have sensed his reluctance. He leaned to the side, pointedly staring at the remainder of the Touou assassins. "What the hell are you guys doing? Don't just stand there like a bunch of idiots. Spread out. Make sure no one gets in."

No one questioned his demands. They scattered and Aomine pulled Kise to the side, pulling him to the floor. They sat with their backs against the wall, facing Kasamatsu's office door. 

"If this works," Aomine began. "We can have a life outside of this, can't we?"

Kise stared at their hands, at their intertwined fingers. It still felt so comfortable to have the warmth of Aomine's palm against his own. It still felt right to lean his head against Aomine's shoulder, to feel his lips press against his forehead. Aomine had always been his safe haven, the normalcy he needed in a world of knives and guns, blood and death. But he couldn't have that anymore. Could he even picture a life outside of this world? 

"You know," Aomine continued. "We don't have to move back to that stuffy neighborhood. We can live around people who aren't so goddamn judgmental. We can have a real life with no secrets."

"No secrets..." Kise repeated, squeezing Aomine's hand. "That'd be nice." He thought about the years they lost to unexplained tension and thought about all the years before them. He remembered being happy. He remembered when he would rush home from a photo shoot or a hit just to see Aomine's smiling face, to feel his arms envelope him and remind him that he was still real. 

"Maybe we could even think of more," Aomine brushed his lips against the smooth skin beside Kise's ear. "Have you ever thought about a kid?"

Kise froze. Aomine must have sensed his rigidity because he tugged on Kise's arm and shifted beside him. 

"If you'd rather not talk about that we can--"

"Daiki... I--" Kise swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. "Getting back into our relationship is one thing, but... A child? No... Daiki, I can't even--"

"You've never even considered it?"

"Daiki...." Of course, he had considered it. He had thought about what room in their house they could use for a child, had the entire feng shui planned out in his head. He knew where the swing set would go in the backyard, what car to buy so they could accommodate the new addition. He even had names picked out for both boys and girls. 

Then he remembered what he did for a living, not standing in front of a camera, but the one that stained his hands with blood. 

"It could never work." 

Aomine stared at him. Kise could see the hurt tighten the corners of his eyes. 

"Not because it's you... Or us." Kise shifted until he could drape his legs over Aomine's hips. "Do you understand how much danger we put ourselves in, how many enemies we make?"

"I know that, Ryouta, but--"

"Even if we finish this," He grabbed Aomine's other hand and brushed his thumb across the pulse in his wrist. "There's no guarantee we won't have lingering problems with people we've encountered, people who know our names." He sighed. The last thing he ever expected Aomine to want was children. He vaguely wondered if this secret had been hiding behind those walls of tense silences that built between them over the years.

Speaking of secrets, Kise still had one that he was afraid to spill. He took a deep breath and squeezed Aomine's hands. "Besides, we should probably get all the secrets out before anything else."

Aomine cocked his head to the side. "What other secrets?"

Kise bit his lower lip and tried not to grimace. "Ah... before we even think about starting a family you should probably meet my real family first."

Silence stretched between them and Kise almost wished for the return of the other assassins. At least then the tension came from elsewhere. 

"What the fuck does that mean, Ryouta?" 

He tightened his grip on Aomine's hands when he felt him try to pull back. "Daiki, no one knows my real family and for good reasons. I mean, I don't need them exposed with the job that we do and--"

"Who the hell walked you down the goddamn aisle when we got married?" Aomine shook his head, incredulous. 

"Oh..." Kise had almost forgotten about that. "He was an old model. People often compared our looks so he kinda fit the role of my dad and--"

"Ryouta, I brought my goddamn parents to our fucking wedding. My real parents!"

Kise clenched his teeth. "Yeah, I know. I could tell." He fought the urge to pull back and run his fingers through his hair. "You look so much like your dad..."

"Goddamnit, Ryouta." Aomine flung his head back, hitting the wall with a dull thud. Kise flinched. "So I don't know a single member of your family?"

Kise frowned and shook his head. 

"Are you even an only child?"

"I have two sisters. Older than me."

"Wow," Aomine squeezed his eyes shut and Kise pulled his hand out of Aomine's to brush his fingers across Aomine's cheek. Aomine didn't lean into the touch, but he didn't pull away either. "I can't believe you."

He had expected that. "But can you blame me? It was Kasamatsu who cautioned me against it, even though he's never met my real family either."

Another silence fell over them and Kise let it build until Aomine broke it again. 

"Imayoshi doesn't give a damn about us or our families," he finally said, voice hoarse as though he'd been crying. No tears marred his face. "I guess..."

"If someone had warned you against exposing your family, would you have kept them hidden from me?"

"I don't know, Ryouta." Aomine sighed and finally lifted his head to press their foreheads together. "You're one of my family now so it kinda seems pretty damn pointless to hide them from you when you share their last name."

Kise sighed. "I realize that." His thumb swiped beneath Aomine's eye. "But we hadn't been together long enough for me to trust you with my family."

"But you could trust me with yourself?" Aomine balked. 

"Well," Kise's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I suppose I could've After all, you did turn a gun on yourself for me."

Aomine rolled his head. "Shut up, asshole." His nose brushed Kise's as he leaned a little closer. "Does that mean I finally get to meet the real Kise's when this is over?"

Kise nodded. 

"Mmmm," Aomine's lips barely brushed Kise's as he said, "Are your sisters as hot as you are?"

Kise snorted. "I'm not even going to answer that." His lips parted as Aomine stole the kiss he'd been waiting for. The bone deep contentment he felt with Aomine returned in a rush of warmth and he shifted in Aomine's lap, almost forgetting where they were. 

_Almost_

"Oh, don't stop on my account."

Kise jumped, pulling away at the sound of Imayoshi's voice. 

"I was rather enjoying the show."

Aomine scowled and wrapped an arm around Kise's waist before he pulled them to their feet. "Shut the hell up, Imayoshi."

"Where's Kasamatsu?" Kise asked, his cheeks tinged a light pink. 

"He's looking something up," He made a vague hand gesture toward the doorway. "Shouldn't be more than a minute."

As if prompted by Imayoshi's word, the door clicked open and Kasamatsu stepped into view.

* * *

 

"As if I'd go into this without doing more research," Kasamatsu leaned against the door frame, eyeing them from a distance.

"You certainly made quick work of it," Imayoshi commented, taking a step forward. He blatantly ignored the way Kasamatsu leaned back when he moved toward him. His eyes darted to Kasamatsu's hands. "Must be those slender fingers of yours."

Aomine saw Kasamatsu cringe and he glanced at Kise, watching as he pressed his fingers against his lips. He was suppressing a laugh.

"Stay the hell away from me," Kasamatsu hissed as he pushed himself off the doorframe and moved across the wall. "And stop with your goddamn comments."

Imayoshi lifted his hands as if to claim innocence and grinned. "Right, right," He replied. "Please continue to share your findings with us."

Though Kasamatsu scowled, he continued. "As your..." He glanced at Sakurai and Aomine followed his gaze until Sakurai ducked behind Wakamatsu. "Colleague found out, the Coaches have employed Fukuda, but only as a means of extra security."

" _Extra?_ " Aomine balked. "Why the hell do they need _extra_ security?"

Kasamatsu stared at him. The longer he stared the more Aomine started to think it was a stupid question. "They already know you've both failed to complete your assignments. It was only a matter of time before they put two and two together and realized you'd join teams, or at the very least combine your own skills to do something about the unjust decision to have you both killed off." 

"Senpai," Kise interrupted with a shake of his head. "We were given the assignment to kill one another, so one of us would've come out alive. It's not like––"

"No, Kise." Kasamatsu shook his head. "We weren't supposed to tell you, but even if you completed this assignment, someone was supposed to take you out too." 

"... what?" Aomine felt Kise's grip on his hand tighten. 

"I'm sure Imayoshi was given the same instructions." Kasamatsu glanced at Imayoshi who stared back at him. Aomine's breath left him when Imayoshi nodded. "You were both supposed to die." Kasamatsu continued, ignoring the way Kise and Aomine's faces fell. "But you're both alive, and on top of that you both know the truth now. Even if we hadn't told you, you're both smart enough to have found out the truth on your own." He paused to glance back at Imayoshi and Aomine pulled Kise tight against his side. "Imayoshi is right. At some point in time, you would've headed for the Coaches, knowing that they pulled all the strings and killing them would be your ticket out of this life, free from your death sentence."

"So the extra protection..." Kise began, leaning into Aomine's embrace. "who else is going to be there?"

Kasamatsu nodded. "Fukuda is only the backup, but it's the entirety of Fukuda. They aren't as skilled as we are, but they're much more ruthless, much more unpredictable." Aomine took a step back with Kise as Kasamatsu pushed himself away from the wall. Despite the fact that they wanted both Imayoshi and Kasamatsu on their side, he wasn't sure he trusted them completely with the knowledge that they had every intention of killing them before, win or lose. "Kirisaki Daichi has been a permanent fixture at their sides for as long as I can remember. They're just as ruthless as Fukuda and they have crudely made weapons, more for torture than quick, easy kills." Aomine had heard enough about Kirisaki Daichi to know they were bad news. He didn't need Kasamatsu to elaborate, but he continued anyway. "If they get the upper hand, they won't hesitate to maim you until you're begging them to stop. They can break even the most skilled assassins."

"Sounds like we should've done more research on this," Aomine whispered, knocking the side of his head against Kise's. 

"Mmm..." Kise hummed softly in response, eyes trained on Kasamatsu. 

"But it's not Fukuda or Kirisaki Daichi that makes me hesitate." Kasamatsu's face darkened. "It's Rakuzan that scares me."

Aomine froze. "Rakuzan?"

"I thought they were a rumor," Kasamatsu said. "I thought they were an elite band of assassins made up to scare us into shape. But they do exist and though they are few in number they've never missed a hit, big or small, and they will turn a single hit into a massacre leaving little to no evidence behind if it means keeping mouths shut about their existence."

_Rakuzan.... Rakuzan...._ Aomine wracked his brains trying to figure out where he'd heard that word before.

"But," Kise shook his head and glanced at Aomine. His face was white as sheet, his eyes wide. "I thought Rakuzan was a high school."

_A High school?_

Kasamatsu frowned. "No, Kise. The high school was a cover up. It's where they were trained to be the killers they are. Rakuzan High was demolished years ago. How would you even know about that?"

"Daiki..." Kise gasped. 

The wheels finally stopped turning in Aomine head and his jaw dropped. Rakuzan. He remembered seeing that embroidered on the back of someone's jacket, right beneath a shock of bright, red hair. 

"Ryouta..." He needed confirmation. There was only one person he could ever associate with Rakuzan. 

Kise turned his head to face him, surprise and a hint of fear etched in his wide, golden eyes. "Akashicchi..." He whispered. 

_Akashi Seijuro..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for putting up with the slow updates. Hope the fic is still enjoyable and attention grabbing!
> 
> -V


	19. Secrets and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kise and Aomine battle verbal admittances from their past kept secrets, one of the biggest secrets literally walks right into their lives. Unfortunately, this secret doesn’t like to play fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the little additions to the fic ^^
> 
> -V

"I'm surprised he agreed to that."

Kise could feel Aomine's eyes on him as he leaned his head against the passenger side window. Kasamatsu had lent them a car from the garage downstairs after relaying the plan to them.

"Agreed to the plan?" He asked. Aomine moved his hand to place it over Kise's knee. He gave a quick squeeze before grabbing the wheel once again.

"No, you seemed pretty confident that we could convince him to join that cause," Aomine followed the set of tail lights in front of him, angling the car off the main road and onto a beaten path. "I meant the whole agreeing to work with Imayoshi alone. I don't even wanna work with that bastard most of the time."

Kise chuckled. "Senpai is surprisingly good at putting differences aside when he has to work on a team with someone. He values teamwork over everything else." He sighed and shook his head. "But I also won't put it past him to put a bullet in Imayoshi's head of he jeopardizes the mission in any way."

It was Aomine's turn to chuckle in response. "Imayoshi would rather die than jeopardize anything that could taint his reputation."

"I'd be worried about your senpai if I were you," Wakamatsu chimed in from the back seat.

Kise glanced over his shoulder. Wakamatsu took up the majority of the backseat with his over abundance of muscles and his broad shoulders. Thankfully his partner was slender enough to still be able to sit comfortably despite his large companion. Sakurai fidgeted under Kise's unwavering gaze.

Imayoshi and Kasamatsu had taken a few of Kaijou's key members and sent Wakamatsu and Sakurai with Aomine and himself. They had already sent the majority of both Kaijou and Touou ahead to set up perimeters and take down as much of the security set up on the outside as possible. Fukuda, Kirisaki Daichi and Rakuzan were somewhere inside. That fact had already been confirmed.

Once inside, Wakamatsu and Sakurai would split from them and take out as much of the indoor security as they could. The way Imayoshi phrased their job made Kise feel like he had no expectations of them coming out alive. He pulled his eyes away from the two of them at the thought. He didn't know them well enough, but they were eager to get out of this life as much as he and Aomine were and that was enough to make him sympathize with them.

He swallowed hard. Neither Imayoshi nor Kasamatsu said it out loud, but he was almost certain a part of them believed they wouldn't make it out alive either. After all, they hadn't been able to confirm which coach had employed Rakuzan. From what he'd heard about their reputation, going up against the lot of them with only two seasoned assassins, no matter their own reputation, was a suicide mission.

Kise and Aomine were headed for Touou's coach.

With a heavy sigh, Kise braced his hands on his knees and let his head come forward to press against the dashboard. He felt more than saw Aomine's concerned gaze and turned his head to the side to meet it.

"I want this to end," Kise admitted softly. "No more danger. No more wondering if I'll wake up tomorrow with all my limbs," He paused and shook his head, a wry smile twitched at the corners of his lips. "Or whether I'll wake up at all. No more secrets and lies."

Aomine reached out and rubbed his hand across Kise's back. "You're an idiot if you think I'll let them take you from me."

Kise smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know. But will you stop them from taking you away from me?" He shook his head again. After putting on a brave front for so long, Kise realized he was tired. He was still scared about starting over. He was still scared about Aomine knowing everything that was real about him when he's spent his entire life keeping everything under lock and key. But he also knew he wanted this. He wanted someone to know who he really was through and through. "Daiki, you swear no more secrets if we come out of this alive?"

"When," Aomine corrected with a smile of his own. "Don't be so goddamn morbid. When we come out of this alive, no more secrets."

Kise bit his lower lip.

"Hey, so," Aomine began pulling his hand back. "Since there are no more secrets... You've been with other people before, right?"

Kise's brow rose. He had expected this question long ago, but hearing it now came as a bit of a surprise. "Yeah..." He pushed himself back against the seat. "I've been with a couple of people. Men and women. Just casual dates though. What about you?"

Aomine reached around his back to palm his nape. He let loose a soft, almost sheepish laugh and Kise tightened his grip on his legs. "I was... Uh, I was actually engaged once before."

The silence that fell over them was stifling but Kise had no intention of breaking it. He had expected to feel a twinge of jealously, but the burn of rage he currently felt was far too powerful an emotion to compare to that.

"Ah... I figured you should know," Aomine added. Kise saw him glance in the rear view mirror, silently pleading with Sakurai and Wakamatsu. "Cause of the no secrets thing, ya know?"

"What's her name?" Kise asked, his voice low, dangerous. "Her address. The names of her family members. Where does she work? Tell me."

He heard Aomine stifle a snort of laughter as he said, "No, Ryouta. You aren't gonna kill her."

"Sakurai," Kise snapped, glancing in the rear view mirror. Sakurai's face paled, but he nodded to acknowledge Kise's questioning gaze. "How good are you with finding information?"

"Ah... I--" Sakurai fisted his hands in the hem of his shirt. "I'm quite--uh... Quite proficient. Is there something I can--"

"No, Sakurai," Aomine warned him, turning to place a hand on Kise's arm. Kise scowled and jerked his arm out of his grasp. "He doesn't need anything."

"I want you to find out who the hell this woman is," Kise demanded. "Now."

"Don't you dare take your phone out, Sakurai."

"Don't listen to Daiki."

"You better fucking listen to me. I'll set Imayoshi on you."

"I-I'm sorry, Kise-san."

Kise groaned when he saw Sakurai bow his head in apology. He knew he'd lost this fight. Realistically he also knew it was ridiculous to go after the past, especially when he'd kept a much bigger secret from Aomine. The thought only served dampen the frustration. He kept his eyes turned out the window for the remainder of the trip.

~~~

As they pulled up just outside the building Kise noted with more than a little skepticism that the coast was decided clear and quiet. There were no bodies, no trace of a scuffle. He pulled out his phone and read the message on the screen telling him to be careful.

"Daiki," he whispered, worried that speaking any louder would draw attention to them. "Moriyama said there was no security set up outside. No guards, no cameras. No traps." He glanced toward the dark building and grimaced. "That can't be a good sign."

Aomine shook his head in response. He saw Aomine's brow furrow and he reached out, caught his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Guess we just go then."

Kise nodded and leaned against door as the lock clicked. He stepped outside and stood still, listening to the rustling of leaves, the shuffling of Wakamatsu and Sakurai, of Aomine's footsteps as he walked around the car. There were no other notable sounds and that fact made a chill run up Kise's spine.

The lack of security outside raised numerous red flags. Were they that comfortable with the teams they had protecting them that they didn't feel the need to employ anyone else as an extra measure?

"Oi, you two," Kise saw Sakurai jump when they were addressed by Aomine. "You're going around back. We'll take the front."

"Who the hell said you were running the show?" Wakamatsu scowled and stomped up to Aomine. "We're supposed to go in ahead of you. Not together."

"Listen, asshole," Aomine growled, taking the bait as Kise expected he would. "Plans change. With no security out here we can't make enough of a scene to pull some of the security detail outside to help try and clean up the mess. We're going in blind and I'll be damned if I let you two go in there with the twice the firepower against you."

Wakamatsu's eyes widened and Kise stepped up behind Aomine to jump in. "We'd be asking you to die if we let you go in alone." He added softly. "No one has been in to confirm just how many of them lie in wait. If we hit them from both ends we still have a chance. Understand?"

He saw Wakamatsu's throat constrict as he swallowed a lump that seemed to have formed as they spoke. He nodded mutely and took a step back to stand beside Sakurai.

"Head around back," Aomine repeated, eyeing them both. Kise rather enjoyed hearing the power of command behind his voice. "We'll meet you somewhere inside." He turned, pulling Kise along with him.

"A-Aomine-san?"

Aomine paused and Kise glanced over his shoulder to see Sakurai wringing his hands in the bottom of his shirt again.

"Ah... And Kise-san..." He took a deep, shuddering breath and dipped his head in an apologetic nod. "I'm sorry to ask this, but I need to know..." His eyes darted every which way until Aomine let out a huff of frustration, indicating he should continue, before he said, "If we don't make it out of this alive," Wakamatsu came up to stand behind Sakurai, placing a large hand on his shoulder. "You'll avenge us, right? Because... If I go down, I-- I want to know the bastards who took us out are going down too."

Kise's eyes widened minutely. When he glanced at Aomine the shocked look on his face was enough proof for him to know that this display of vengeful attitude was not at all something he was accustomed to hearing from Sakurai.

"Hey," Aomine lifted his hand and extended a closed fist. Kise's lips twitched, knowing it was his own kind of silent promise. "Those bastards won't even know what fucking hit 'em."

Sakurai's lips curled into the barest hint of a smile before both he and Wakamatsu disappeared around the side of the house.

"Guess it's just the two of us, eh?" Aomine finally said as he nudged Kise's shoulder to guide him toward the house.

Kise smiled slightly. "Hasn't it always been?"

Aomine chuckled and adjusted the holster on his belt.

Kise stared at the house ahead. It didn't look all that different from the home they'd just destroyed, only this one was several floors taller and much more grandiose than theirs had been. He eyed the windows at the top of the mansion, searching for shadows, some clue to hint at the location of the Coach.

Everything was dark and far too quiet.

"It's fucking weird that they have no cameras set up," Aomine noted aloud. They slowed as they reached the front door. "There's gotta be something around here..."

"Moriyama doesn't miss anything," Kise countered, even as his eyes scanned the area. "There's no way he wouldn't see--"

"Hey, what the hell is that?" Aomine pointed to a black spot in the corner of the doorway, just a few feet higher than the door itself. "Looks like a damn camera to me."

Kise's eyes narrowed. He couldn't deny that it did look like a camera, but even so, Moriyama would've scanned the area. It was likely a dud.

"Daiki, I don't think--"

But Aomine already had a gun out, aiming straight for the fake camera's face.

"Daiki, wait!"

Even with the silencer, the shot rang in his eardrums, like someone dropping a book in a library. He froze, a hand on Aomine's arm. He could feel the tension running through him, even though he was the one to take the shot.

They both listened. When his ears stopped ringing and the only sound of note was the wind through the trees, Kise slowly began to relax.

That was his first mistake.

The doorknob turned in front of them and the Iock clicked. Before the door swung open, Aomine had his gun pointed at the doorway and Kise's swiftly followed.

His eyes narrowed at the familiar face that stepped into the light.

"Ohoho, look what the cat dragged in!" He knew that dark gray hair pulled back in tight cornrows and that smirk straight from hell. Kise swore it would melt off his face. "Bunch of fucking dead guys."

"Haizaki," Aomine hissed.

"Daiki," Haizaki grinned, lifting a hand in mock salute. "And..." He glanced at Kise with a wide smirk. "Ryouta."

"Ryouta?" Aomine parroted.

"Shougo..." Kise whispered in return.

"Shougo?" Aomine's incredulity didn't go unnoticed. "What the fuck is with this first name basis shit?"

"Ooooh, Ryouta didn't tell you?" Haizaki's voice rose an octave in his excitement.

"We... Briefly had a thing."

* * *

 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Aomine could feel the fire race through his veins, the instant fury. "You gave me shit for a past fiancé and you were parading around with this no good piece of shit?"

"Daiki, it's not the same."

"Yeah, Daiki," Haizaki mimicked. "It's not the same."

Aomine took a step forward, brandishing the gun in Haizaki's direction. "You shut the fuck up before I put a bullet in that stupid, smirking face of yours."

"So scary," Haizaki lifted his hands in mock surrender.

"Ryouta," Aomine turned his attention back to Kise who seemed to be adamantly avoiding his furious gaze. "Why the hell didn't I know about this?"

"You didn't ask, Daiki." Kise snapped in return. "He wasn't significant like a fiancé. He was a fling." He watched as Kise shot Haizaki a venomous glare. "One that I seriously regret."

"Don't worry, sweet cheeks," Haizaki chimed in. "I regret it too. After all, you did take a fucking finger before I left."

Aomine's brow rose. He glanced at Haizaki's left hand. Straps ran around his wrist and the palm of his hand. A dark fabric covered his index finger to the knuckle. A fierce sense of satisfaction ran through him at the sight, knowing the strange glove was due to Kise's handiwork.

"Funny," Aomine commented, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. "I remember you losing a piece of your ear to Imayoshi before you left Touou too." He caught sight of Haizaki's right ear and the half moon chuck of flesh missing. He remembers Imayoshi firing a gun right beside Haizaki's face right before demanding he find another association to work for.

Kise's hand pressed against his arm and he turned to face him once again, despite knowing he should keep an eye on Haizaki.

"I didn't even know you knew him," Kise admitted with a frown. "I didn't even know he'd been picked up by anyone else."

"Tch," Aomine raked his free hand through his hair and sighed. "Goddamnit, Ryouta, I'm not mad at you. I'm just sick of finding shit out now. All these goddamn secrets..."

"No more," Kise replied and Aomine noticed how he kept his gun resolutely pointed at Haizaki throughout their entire conversation. "I promise. It'll just be you and me."

Haizaki made a choking noise, drawing their attention back to him. "Can you stop with the romantic shit? You're gonna make me gag and die."

"Go ahead and die," Aomine replied. "It'll make my job easier."

"Easy? Didn't peg you as the type to like 'em easy." His dark eyes slid over to Kise and a smirk spread across his lips. "Then again, you did marry Ryouta."

The first shot went off after Aomine pulled the trigger in a flash of anger. He narrowly missed Haizaki's face and Haizaki didn't even flinch.

Haizaki threw his head back and laughed, a maniacal laugh that bordered on an insane giggle. "I knew you'd be the first to cave, you gullible shit."

Aomine fired again and this time Haizaki dipped to the side to avoid it.

"Haizaki..." Aomine growled, taking a step forward. He had every intention of keeping his promise of putting a bullet through Haizaki's face.

"Ah, ah, ah," Haizaki clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I don't want anything to do with you." He gestured toward Kise with his incomplete hand. "I wanna go head to head with pretty boy. I have a score to settle with him.

"I don't fucking think so," Aomine snarled, his grip on his gun tightened until he felt Kise's hand against his shoulder. He paused and glanced back.

"Daiki," There was a fury and a fierce determination in Kise's eyes that made Aomine lower his gun. "I can handle him."

Aomine hesitated, glancing between Haizaki's infuriating smirk and Kise's hardened determination. With a sigh, he took a step back. "Fine," he begrudgingly agreed. "But if he hurts you..."

"I know," Kise replied.

"I'll tear him limb from fucking limb," he finished.

Kise smiled knowingly and gave Aomine's shoulder a squeeze before he stepped forward himself. "Oi, Shougo. Don't cry when you lose."

Haizaki snorted. "You're the crybaby here, Ryouta." He lifted his hands to show he was currently unarmed. "But neither one of us will be able to cry after this. We're going to the death. You ready to shake on it like a fucking man?"

Aomine didn't like the way Kise hesitated. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Kise probably knew things about Haizaki that he didn't. Something was wrong if he had to hesitate.

"You want to shake on it?" Kise repeated, taking slow, careful steps forward. "That's a bit too gentlemanly for you, don't you think?"

Haizaki lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Just wanna make sure you're not gonna chicken shit out on me this time."

Aomine didn't have to see Kise's face to know he was scowling. It sounded too much like a challenge for him to back down.

"If you try anything..."

Haizaki waved his hands in the air. "Do you see any fucking weapons, you blind shit?"

Aomine watched Kise's shoulders rise and fall as he took a deep breath. Without further hesitation, he slowly moved forward. Aomine's eyes continued to dart between Haizaki and Kise's back. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

This was Kise's second mistake of the night.

Haizaki's expression changed from the serious mask he'd put on and Aomine caught the glimpse of deception that he should have seen before. His eyes darted to Haizaki's hands in time to see the tip of his covered finger pop open, the barrel of a gun embedded in the black fabric.

Without thinking, Aomine threw himself forward with a shout of, "RYOUTA!"

The shot rang out before he could reach him and Kise clutched at his side as he fell to the ground. Aomine stared at Kise's crumpled form before lifting his eyes to meet Haizaki's smirk head on. And Aomine saw red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have to thank you all for being so patient with my updates and still keeping up with the fic despite the long pauses between chapters. You're all wonderful readers and much more kind than I deserve! Thank you again!
> 
> -V


	20. Call it Gut Instinct (There's Something Wrong Here)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a showdown between Haizaki and Aomine. Will Aomine let Haizaki’s comments cloud his judgement and leave him an opening to come away victorious? Through it all, Kise struggles to stand on his own two feet and finds it even harder when a new, bigger secret is thrust upon him, weighing him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I can only offer my sympathies for the length in time between chapters. I don’t have much to blame except for laziness and lack of brain function. Hope you all enjoy this installment. ^^
> 
> -V

Aomine threw himself forward with little regard to his own life. He knew Haizaki had more hidden weapons. He didn't need to see them for confirmation. Aomine vaguely likened it to cheating, but there was no such thing as cheating in his profession.

His mind screamed at him to get rid of Haizaki's makeshift gun finger. He didn't know if it could reload, but he wasn't going to take any chances. As he neared Haizaki's grinning face, he realized it could when he saw a bullet slip into place in the tip of his finger. His eyes narrowed and he fell onto his knees, the shot narrowly missing his arm as he slid into Haizaki's legs, knocking him to the ground.

They both grunted when they hit the floor and Aomine swept is arm forward, jamming the barrel of his handgun into Haizaki's stomach. But he underestimated Haizaki's speed and carefully crafted skill. Haizaki's arm cracked forward like a whip, slamming Aomine's wrist to the side as he pulled the trigger. The bullet drove into the ground beside Haizaki's body and Haizaki took the momentary lapse in reaction to smack the gun from Aomine's grasp.

With a growl, Aomine reared his arm back, readying a punch. He saw Haizaki zero in on his fist and watched as he angled his head away from the impact before it even came. Aomine used this premeditated response to his advantage. He brought his fist sailing down and opened his fingers at the last second, tilting his body to the side to slam his hand over Haizaki's. 

His hand curled around the fake finger, feeling another bullet shift into place within the inner workings. He squeezed and another round went off, the whip of air as the bullet was released ruffling the hair on his head. He grit his teeth and tugged, yanking the firearm finger off Haizaki's hand and leaving him the cripple that Kise had left him as long ago.

Haizaki let his hand fall limply back to the ground. He smirked at Aomine as he stared down at him.

"Admiring Ryouta's handiwork?" He wiggled his remaining fingers as he lifted his hand in front of his face. "A nice, clean job, isn't it?" Aomine's knuckles cracked at his side. "That wasn't the only _job_ he did well though, if you know what I mean." Haizaki lifted his hips for emphasis and Aomine slammed a fist into the side of his face.

Haizaki hissed as his head ricocheted off the ground. He turned his face to the side and spat, a gob of blood and a tooth landing several inches away. He finally turned his scowling face toward Aomine and said, "I liked that tooth, you shit." He ran his tongue over his remaining teeth. "I'm gonna pay you back tenfold, fucker. You and your dying little pretty boy."

Aomine's fist connected with Haizaki's face again as he let out a feral growl. Rage blinded him. He barely felt each blow as he landed hit after hit. It was almost too easy, like Haizaki was letting him get away with it. 

Then Haizaki grinned through the bruises and the blood and lifted a full-fingered hand. Aomine flinched before he could stop himself and rolled back out of reach, wondering what sort of fire power he could possibly have up his sleeve now. 

He braced himself for another shot, but Haizaki slowly lifted himself from the ground and pushed himself to his feet. Though he appeared unsteady, Aomine's fingers still inched toward the other gun planted firmly against his hip. 

"You're such a chicken shit, Aomine," Haizaki taunted, a grin splitting across his swollen face. "You really think I'm gonna shoot you again?"

"I'm not falling for your shit," Aomine snarled, pulling the gun from it's holster. "I know you've got more up your sleeve."

"Do you now?" Haizaki grinned impossibly wider. "You think it's another gun." Aomine didn't nod to confirm his obvious response. It wasn't a question, after all. "You really are an idiot."

Before Aomine could pull the trigger Haizaki whipped forward, far faster than Aomine would've ever given him credit for. He froze right in front of Aomine, body bent forward, his arm at the ready to thrust forward. Aomine started pulling back, but he wasn't quick enough.

"If you think my weapon of choice is a gun like you spineless fucks who fight from a distance, you're wrong," A thick, serrated knife sprang into Haizaki's hand. "Who the fuck do you think I trained with in Kaijou?"

Aomine's forearm caught the pointed edge, ripping through his skin like shark's teeth. He grit his teeth against the pain and shot backward, firing off two rounds as he retreated. One grazed Haizaki's shoulder after the other one missed his face by mere centimeters. But Haizaki didn't even flinch. 

Blood flowed from the open wound on Aomine's arm, slipping off the tips of his fingers to form a pool on the ground. He gripped his handgun with the opposite hand, keeping it leveled at Haizaki's face. 

"Kise uses sleeker knives," Aomine commented aloud.

"So what?" Haizaki countered. "Do you think that makes him better? It takes more skill to use this," He brought the pointed edge up to his lips, flicking his tongue over the lingering blood. "Kise would know. It's pierced him so many times." Haizaki paused, talking slow, purposeful steps toward Aomine and his ready firearm. "I also pierced him with..." As he walked he ran his free hand down the center of his body, his tongue tracing his lips as he finally cupped his groin and thrust suggestively into his own hand.

Aomine snapped. The muscles in his arm spasmed in his fury and he fired off two rounds, the bullets soaring just shy of Haizaki's smirking face. He followed Haizaki with the barrel of his gun, firing off round after round as Haizaki cackled and whooped. His taunting laughter echoed around them, egging Aomine on.

When he felt the gun click to a stop, he growled to himself and released the empty magazine. He whipped his hand against his side, slamming the butt of the gun against the holster where he held the extra ammo. It clicked into place immediately, but Haizaki was already under him, swinging his shark-like knife with the intention of tearing open a new hole in Aomine. 

His reflexes did not fail him. As he watched the fatal arc of Haizaki's knife, he reached forward with his free, bloodied hand and caught Haizaki's wrist. He jerked it to the side, intent on painfully bending Haizaki's arm behind his back, but Haizaki rolled with the motion. His fighting style was so similar to Kise's.

The movement, though deterrent to Aomine's initial intention, worked in his favor. He used Haizaki's momentum to fling him to the side. Haizaki lost his footing and slid across the floor, his back slamming into the wall. Aomine's next two bullets hit their mark, one burying in Haizaki's shoulder, the other, splitting through the side of his right calf. Though Haizaki grit his teeth, he barely flinched, recovering quickly enough to roll out of the way of the next round fired.

Aomine hesitated to fire again. Haizaki braced himself against the wall a few feet away, his body in a favorable position to dodge another attack. But something made Aomine's stomachs roil, something that tickled the back of his mind and reminded him that his gut instinct was usually correct. 

There was something off about Haizaki's tolerance for pain. 

"I shot you in the goddamn leg," Aomine pointed out as Haizaki tried to push himself to his feet. "You won't be able to walk, bastard."

But Haizaki stood and grinned. His legs wobbled slightly, unsure of their footing, but he was still standing. "Looks like I can stand just fine." Haizaki flipped the knife through his fingers. "Pretty sure your shitty aim has no effect on me." He took a step forward to emphasize the taunt.

Aomine's eyes widened minutely. "How the fuck..."

"Pain..." Haizaki began. He turned his left wrist upward and tilted the sharp edge of his serrated knife toward his wrist. "Is no match for what I've taken." His slices through the sleeve of his shirt, the sound of ripping fabric grating on Aomine's ears. 

Aomine's eyes darted toward Haizaki's exposed forearm. Tiny red dots lined his arm and the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. 

"What the fuck is--"

"Morphine is a wonderful thing, Daiki." Haizaki grinned and tapped his fingers against his arm. "It's a damn shame Ryouta stopped using it to dull everything. Maybe that pretty boy would still be on his feet now." Aomine bristled and lifted his gun again. "Then again... He always did look better on his knees." Haizaki smirked and winked at Aomine. "Bet you know what I'm talking about, don't ya, Daiki?"

Aomine's gun went off repeatedly. He was done listening to Haizaki's jabs, done caring if he could feel the pain or not, done playing along with his games. Feeling no pain didn't mean he was immune to death and there was only one thought running through Aomine's mind now.

_Haizaki Shougo is gonna die._

* * *

Shots rang in Kise's ears as he slowly blinked away the haze that had settled over his mind. He couldn't remember if he lost consciousness, but he felt like he might have. He pushed himself to his knees, gritting his teeth as pain lanced through his side. Instinctively, he pressed his fingers over the wound in his side, grimacing as they came away bloody. 

He leaned back against his calves, letting loose a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. The weight of the bullet proof vest was much more noticeable, but it was the sliver of his unprotected side that the bullet had ripped through. He wasn't sure if the vest was ineffective or if Haizaki's aim was just that good. 

The thought of Haizaki pulled his attention away from his bloodied fingers to the fight unfolding before him. He watched as Haizaki slid across the floor, his back slamming into the wall. Aomine stood several feet away with a gun pointed at him.

Determined to stay true to his word and finish off Haizaki himself, he took a stumbling step forward, readying his hand for the knife that would spring from the loaded sheath on his wrist. But that was when he heard the soft click of a gun being cocked and he pulled his eyes away from the fight. A few feet away stood Akashi, red hair just as vibrant as ever with his multi-colored eyes fixed on the fight, his gun resolutely aimed at...

_Daiki..._

With little thought to the way blood gushed from the wound in his side, Kise threw himself forward. He slammed into Akashi's side, smacking the gun out of his hand and riding him to the ground. He planted his legs firmly on either side of Akashi's hips, pinning his hands down with vice grips on his wrists. 

"Akashicchi, what the hell are you--"

"Hello, Ryouta," Akashi began, his voice level and calm. Kise noticed the way he didn't struggle against his hold. He stared up at Kise, a serene look in his eyes. His lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile when Kise's grip tightened. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

Kise blinked down at him, thrown off by the pleasant lilt to his voice, the casualness of the conversation. "I--" He shook his head. "Akashicchi, you were..." Kise took a deep breath to steady himself, letting the surprise filter from his expression until he felt the mask of apathy take its place. "There's no way I'm going to let you hurt Daiki."

"That is where you're mistaken, Ryouta," Akashi replied, his eyes darting toward the continued match between Haizaki and Aomine. "You see, that choice is no longer yours to make. You had your chance to be the one to end it and you failed."

Kise's eyes widened and he shook his head. "I couldn't do it," he admitted, squeezing Akashi's wrists. "You brought us together, Akashicchi. You know what he--"

"Yes, I know what he means to you." Akashi let a soft sigh escape his lips. "But prior relationships should mean little when you're given an assignment to complete."

Kise's mouth opened to protest, but one look from Akashi silenced him. He still wasn't sure how he did it, but it was near impossible to say no to Akashi Seijuurou. 

"It's such a shame too," Akashi continued. "You are both such well-trained assassins. So much potential to be so much more, only to be wasted because you have to die."

"We don't have to die, Akashicchi, you don't understand." Kise leaned back a fraction of an inch, still unable to shake the comfort of familiarity that came with Akashi's presence. He knew it was making him let his guard down and a whisper in the back of his mind told him he had no right to feel so at ease. Something was up and Akashi was the root of it. "We're here to stop all that. We don't have to die. No one does. You won't have to take orders from the coaches anymore. You can--"

Laughter shook Akashi's body, the sound so startling that Kise almost released his wrists to get away from it. 

"Sometimes you really are an idiot, Ryouta." Akashi's eyes sparkled with newfound mirth. "You and Daiki both."

"What? But I--"

"Did you really think that I would take orders from those fools?"

Kise froze. He stared down at Akashi, at the determined set of his eyes, at the truth that he wasn't willing to believe, but had felt since the moment he knocked Akashi to the ground. "No..."

"They're just pawns, Ryouta." Akashi's lips spread into a soft grin, more malicious in appearance than even Imayoshi's. "You were all just pieces in my game."

Kise shook his head in disbelief. "But that means you gave the order..."

"To have one of you killed?" Akashi finished for him. He tilted his head forward in half a nod to confirm the information. "You see, you were both my kings. But you can only have _one _king, Ryouta." Akashi waved his fingers dismissively, and Kise could feel the muscles in his arms flex as they moved. "Playing with two is against the rules and those who break the rules lose the game."__

Kise shuddered as Akashi stared him down. 

"I don't lose, Ryouta." Akashi's twisted his right wrist in Kise's grasp and broke free. He grabbed Kise's chin with his thumb and forefinger and turned his face toward Haizaki and Aomine's fight. "Now watch me get my checkmate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading once again! Your enthusiasm is what keeps me going with this fic because I do love this AU quite a bit and the fact that everyone else seems to love it too makes it worth sharing. Your comments never fail to put a smile on my face, no matter what they say, and I feel like I need to give more gratitude where gratitude is due for the time you take to leave even a couple words. So thank you all for reading and commenting and I hope this fic continues to keep you on your toes until the very end. :)
> 
> -V


	21. Consequence of Disobedience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ryouta," Akashi prompted, reaching forward to turn Kise's face toward him. 
> 
> Kise glared up at him. "Daiki isn't going to die, Akashicchi." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "You're wrong."
> 
> Akashi's gaze darkened like storm clouds passing over his eyes. "I'm never wrong, Ryouta."
> 
> "You are now."
> 
> A gunshot echoed his final statement.
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a little blocked before writing this chp so I apologize, once again, for the wait. I'm so grateful to those of you who have stuck with this until now. It's been a long haul, but we're closing in on the ending here!
> 
> -V

Kise managed to jerk his chin out of Akashi's grasp, but he wasn't able to get the upper hand. It felt like Akashi predicted every move he mad. It was nearly impossible for Kise to pin him down again. He vaguely wondered why it was so easy before until he realized that Akashi was only playing with him. Allowing Kise to knock him down put him in the close proximity Akashi needed to get the upper hand.

Kise pulled his arm back to throw a punch, but Akashi moved before his fist even came close to it's target. His punch was blocked with Akashi's forearm and his wrist slapped to the ground. Kise felt the pressure of Akashi's foot pinning his wrist to the floor and when he tried to trip him by pulling his arm out, Akashi ground his heel in, bringing a soft groan of pain from Kise's lips.

Kise tried to lift the other side of his body off the ground, but Akashi collapsed forward. His knee hit Kise's chest, leaving him winded, barely able to catch his breath with the burden of weight that held him down. He struggled, but Akashi's strength appeared to surpass his own, despite the obvious height and weight difference between the two of them.

"Stop struggling, Ryouta." Akashi frowned down at him. "I think I may have found a way to keep at least one of you alive." 

"You were just going to--" 

"Kill Daiki?" Akashi finished. "No, Ryouta. Don't be such a simpleton. I'm not going to take down my king myself. That would be cheating."

"But you just had a gun pointed at him!"

"To injure, not to kill." Akashi lifted a finger as he corrected Kise. "To give Shougo the upper hand, of course. He is my piece, after all, and I've put a lot of stock into his victory. I was merely making my next move."

Kise drew in a sharp breath, despite the difficulty of the action. "Then you're still going to have Daiki killed."

Akashi stared at the battle that continued only a few feet away from them, Haizaki and Aomine both oblivious to Akashi's arrival and Kise's predicament. Though Kise knew that Haizaki still relied on his morphine to make it through "unscathed", he could tell that the fight was tilting heavily in Aomine's favor. Haizaki's movements had slowed and he limped, though he probably didn't notice. Kise could tell, even from a distance, that Haizaki had lost a lot of blood. He might not be able to feel the pain of the injuries, but they took a toll on his body nonetheless. 

"I've made my move," Akashi breathed. "And I will make my next one based on the outcome." He glanced down at Kise, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. "But you will cooperate when Daiki dies."

Kise's eyes darkened and he threw himself upward, earning him a swift punch to the side of his face. His head hit the floor hard and he groaned as spots danced in his vision. 

"As I was saying," Akashi continued, rubbing his fingers across his reddened knuckles. "You can try to fight it all you like. But you see, if you refuse my requests, I know a few teammates of yours who will be very unhappy with their untimely ends. I'm sure you don't want to be the cause of anyone's deaths besides those you choose to take yourself." His smile widened. "I know you have quite an attachment to that senpai of yours. It'd be a shame to have his will broken and his body maimed so horribly you won't even recognize him."

Kise shuddered. He'd been threatened before, listened to threats directed toward himself, his friends, his family and he had never believed a single word of them. Threats, he believed, were nothing but empty words. No one ever had actions to back them up. But when Akashi threatened Kasamatsu, Kise could almost visualize what could possibly be in store for him. He didn't believe Akashi knew how to make empty threats. 

He swallowed the protests that built in the back of his throat and pulled his eyes away from the threatening gleam of Akashi's gaze to watch the fight unfold. Aomine was closing in on Haizaki and though he still had to dodge punches and the occasional swipe of a serrated blade, Kise knew he was readying his final move. 

"Ryouta," Akashi prompted, reaching forward to turn Kise's face toward him. 

Kise glared up at him. "Daiki isn't going to die, Akashicchi." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "You're wrong."

Akashi's gaze darkened like storm clouds passing over his eyes. "I'm never wrong, Ryouta."

"You are now."

A gunshot echoed his final statement.

* * *

 

Haizaki cursed as he fell to the ground, his arms shaking as he tried to push himself to his feet. Even Aomine could see that his leg was no longer functioning. It limply moved along behind Haizaki as he pulled himself forward. 

"Fuck..." Haizaki hissed, pulling himself up against the wall. 

Aomine loomed over him, gun at the ready. "Your body is feeling the pain for you." He took a step forward and slammed his foot down on Haizaki's useless leg.

Haizaki flinched, if only out of habit, and smacked Aomine's leg away. "Bullshit," he growled, trying, in vain, to push himself up again. "I can still fight. I'm still gonna fucking kill you and finish off the pretty boy if even he's still clinging to life."

Aomine's finger jumped against the trigger and a bullet dug its way through Haizaki's shoulder.

Haizaki grit his teeth and glared up at Aomine. Aomine couldn't fault him for the defiance he still showed. In fact, he might've considered finishing him off sooner if he groveled at his feet. But as much as loathed Haizaki, as much as he wanted nothing more than to put a bullet in his head, he had to give him credit for never losing his fighting spirit. 

"Bastard," Aomine hissed, as he cocked the gun again. "You won't feel it when it when you die, you fucking coward." His finger hovered over the trigger again. "What was the point?" The question came out before he could stop it, his morbid curiosity getting the better of him. "What was the point of not... feeling?"

"Like you'd ever understand what it's like when you've never tried it." Haizaki's right hand groped at his side as he spoke and Aomine kicked his hand away before he could grab another weapon. "What's the point in feeling shit? Everything is pain." 

As Aomine stared at Haizaki's face, he watched his eyes dart toward where he believed Kise to be. His eyes narrowed as cogs began turning in his head. "Everything is pain..." He repeated, his mind supplying him with an image of Kise's smiling face.

"I don't have a reason to feel a goddamn thing."

Aomine drew a sharp breath as the pieces fell into place. "You fucking loved him." His eyes widened as he met Haizaki's skeptical gaze. "You fell for Ryouta and he didn't fall back. And that fucking hurt, didn't it? Then the morphine made you feel numb all over, even made you forget your broken heart, didn't it?"

Haizaki glared up at him, the answer written all of his face.

"You poor, sad bastard," Aomine shook his head and tightened his grip on the gun. "What the hell did you think would happen if you won? Did you think he'd come running back into your arms? You're even dumber than I thought."

Haizaki's lips pulled into a sneer, flashing his teeth in a way that was borderline menacing. "No," he growled in response. "I don't want that prissy little shit back. I was going to show him your dead body. Watch him suffer. Maybe see him cry again. Then I was going to remind him of what he was missing," Haizaki cupped at his groin and his grin slid into a smirk. "even if he struggled. Even if he _cried_. Even if he tried to kill me. I'd make sure he remembered what he left behind."

Aomine could feel his blood boiling with every word Haizaki spoke. 

"Maybe right in front of your dead body. So your lifeless eyes could see him suffer before I decided to be nice enough to let him join you."

"Wrong fucking answer, Haizaki." 

Aomine pulled the trigger. Haizaki went limp and Aomine pulled it again and again. He pulled the trigger until the gun clicked empty and no shells leapt from the barrel. Even then he kept pulling the trigger, as though the empty sound would erase what he'd heard, would further solidify what he'd done.

He felt a hand close over his own and he jumped, readying a punch as he turned toward the offender. But Kise stared back at him, his face a little worse for wear, but a smile gently tugging at the corners of his lips. Aomine's eyes widened and he dropped the gun.

"You won, Daiki," Kise whispered, slipping his fingers between Aomine's. Aomine squeezed them in return. 

"Ryouta..." Aomine lifted his free hand, his fingers hovering over Kise's cheek. "I thought you--"

"I didn't," Kise replied, leaning into Aomine's touch. Despite the subtle affection, Kise was clearly distracted. His eyes continuously darted toward the opposite end of the room.

Aomine frowned and followed his gaze. His jaw nearly dropped open when he saw Akashi smirking back at them.

"What the fu--"

"Daiki," Kise lowered his voice and took a step closer. "It was him. It was Akashicchi. He's the one behind everything. He's the one who--"

"Ryouta, it's impolite to talk behind someone's back when they're standing in the room with you."

Aomine tightened his grip on Kise's hand as he pulled him hard against his side. "What the fuck do you want, Akashi?"

Akashi's lips slid into a grin, the sight made something curdle in Aomine's stomach. "Now, now, Daiki, manners," he chided, clicking his tongue. "This is how you treat me after so long... And after I let Ryouta go free to run and check on you."

"You let him go free?" Aomine echoed, brows high on his forehead as he turned to Kise for answers.

Kise's lips pressed into a thin line on his face and he squeezed Aomine's hand in warning. 

"I was so certain you'd let your anger get the best of you," Akashi continued, ignoring their confusion and distress. "Then Ryouta told me I was _wrong_." Aomine and Kise flinched, the words like a whip across their shoulders. "I'm _never_ wrong, but... it appears I put too much stock in Shougo's abilities. I wasn't wrong, per say. I merely misplaced my confidence."

"Akashi," Aomine growled, his voice low and dangerous. 

Akashi's eyes sparkled with barely concealed amusement. "Ever the impatient one, Daiki. Fine," He made a vague waving gesture with his hand before pressing it against his ear. "Nebuya," he spoke loud enough for them to hear. "Bring him down here."

Aomine bristled. He felt Kise shift uncomfortably at his side. 

"Bring who?" Kise dared to ask. 

Akashi smiled. "You will see." He stared at the door that lead further into the house. Aomine itched to pull Kise toward the entrance, to end this suicide mission before it resulted in the very name of the game. "I'm going to give one of you a chance to save yourself."

The door burst open and a large man, skin similar in color to Aomine's but much broader, with large, intimidating arms, entered the room. He dragged a slender man with dark, shaggy hair along behind him. The man struggled, letting loose soft whimpers and pleas until he was thrown forward at Akashi's feet. He immediately pressed his head to the floor, prostrating himself like he would in front of a deity.

Aomine's eyes widened. "That's..." He leaned to the side to whisper against Kise's ear. "That's Touou's Coach..."

Akashi stared down at the Coach, a look of mild disgust scrunching his nose. 

"Akashi-sama, I swear I wasn't the one who told them of the location. It must've been Takeuchi, he had access to the information and he--"

"Don't be silly, Katsunori," Akashi waved off his apology. "I was the one who freed that information for them to find. I would never pin you with the blame of something you did not do."

Katsunori look mildly relieved when he lifted his head, but the relief was short-lived. His face paled when he saw Akashi procure a firearm from somewhere along his slim belt line. He immediately started pushing himself backward, but he had no where to go when he ran into the wall of muscle that was Nebuya. 

Akashi spun open the chamber of the small revolver. Aomine could see the bullets lodged in their places. He grimaced. He wasn't sure he liked where he thought this was going. 

"About saving one of your lives," Akashi began again, turning to offer the revolver to one of them. "I'll spare whoever shoots this worthless fool in the head."

* * *

 

Kise had known what path Akashi would travel down the moment Aomine told him that poor man was Touou's Coach.

He grit his teeth and took a step back when the gun was thrust in their direction. He desperately tugged on Aomine's arm, hoping he could convey his severe distaste with the situation. Judging by the look on Aomine's face, however, the sentiment was shared between the two of them.

"One bullet, between his eyes," Akashi continued, giving the gun a small shake of encouragement. "And you live. Of course, I'll have Nebuya snap the other's one neck, but I can be merciful and have him do that in another room. I'm sure you don't want to see the death that parts you up close and personal, do you?"

Kise shuddered. He leaned heavily against Aomine's shoulder, taking a modicum of comfort in his warmth. It was hard to believe that only hours ago he had been ready to put a bullet in Aomine's head. The mere thought made his heart plummet into his stomach. 

"Take the gun." Akashi's fingers tightened in his impatience. "Daiki,"

Aomine shook his head. "I won't play your sick game, Akashi."

Akashi's brow twitched as he turned toward Kise. "Ryouta, you'll take it, or I'll make good on my threat against your senpai."

Kise swallowed hard. That threat still lingered in the back of his mind and as much as he wanted to do whatever it took to prevent it, he wouldn't put Aomine's life in danger. He valued that life over everything else and he believed that maybe they would still have enough strength between them to see this mission to end.

"I won't," Kise replied, jaw set and eyes hard in his defiance.

Akashi almost sneered as he pulled the gun back, shifting his grip until he could fit his forefinger comfortably over the trigger. He lifted the gun and aimed it at the pair of them. "Then you leave me no choice."

Kise tensed, ready to throw himself in front of Aomine the second Akashi pulled the trigger, but Akashi turned to face the Coach instead.

Katsunori gasped and lifted his hands in a gesture of innocence as he practically screamed, "Akashi-sama, wait, I--"

Akashi didn't wait. He didn't bother to hear the excuses or the pleas. The gunshot made Kise flinch and his eyes widened as he watched Katsunori drop to the ground at Nebuya's feet. 

"Dispose of him," Akashi told Nebuya, as he turned the gun back toward Aomine and Kise. 

Nebuya swiftly complied, gathering the Coach in his arms and leaving through another door at the opposite end of the room. 

Kise stared at Akashi, at the way he pointed the gun at them, resolute and unwavering. 

"I gave you a choice," Akashi began, a frown tightening his features. "I did hope that one of you would make the right one. It pains me to lose two such promising assassins."

"Akashicchi, wait, you know you don't have to do this." Kise kept their joined hands hidden behind their bodies. He still had another gun at his disposal. He knew there was one strapped to Aomine's lower back. If Akashi made a move, he'd be just as ready. 

"Oh, but I do, Ryouta," Akashi replied with a solemn nod. "You chose to disobey me and disobedience has its consequences."

His arm tensed as he watched Akashi's finger teasingly brush the trigger. He was about to reach for the gun when the door Nebuya had entered from burst open again. All heads whipped in the direction of the sound and Kise's eyes widened when he realized he knew the man who stepped in the room.

"Damn, I thought that door had weights or something."

Kise felt Aomine jerk forward at his side. "What the fuck?" Aomine balked, staring at the newcomer. 

"Oh, shit! Ryou-chan?" 

"Takaocchi..." Kise gasped. "What are you--"

"Fancy meeting you here." Takao laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "Guess I found the wrong room. My bad, Sei-chan."

Akashi's eyes narrowed. "I thought I told you to wait upstairs."

"Did you?" Takao made a show of looking genuinely confused. "Thought you meant that for Reo-chan. Guess I mixed up the orders again! But hey," he pointed a gun at Aomine and Kise. Kise's eyes widened. He hadn't been aware of the gun. "Now I can help end this."

Akashi appeared to mull over the suggestion until Takao added, "Two guns are better than one." He winked and Kise couldn't tell who it was directed at. 

"If you miss, Kazunari, I will kill you."

Jokes aside, Takao's expression darkened. "I know you will." 

Akashi turned to face them once again, a faint smile in place. "How much will it hurt, being shot down by former friends and allies?"

Kise's expression wavered and he felt Aomine tense at his side.

"How about you tell them yourself?" Takao's voice rang out and Akashi leapt back when a shot was fired in his direction. 

Akashi's eyes flashed as his face contorted with instant fury. "Kazunari, just what do you think you're--"

"Sorry, Sei-chan," Takao shrugged and pointed his gun at Akashi again. "I did say I was gonna end it... but I didn't say how."

Kise took advantage of Akashi's fury and confusion to release Aomine's hand and tug the firearm from the holster strapped to his back. He leveled the new gun at Akashi, glancing at Takao in time to catch another wink. 

"I think it's about time you stepped down, Sei-chan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for all the comments and the encouragement. I'm glad people have enjoyed this fic as much as I have enjoyed writing it :3
> 
> -V


	22. If There is a Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Enough, you stupid love birds." Takao brandished he gun toward the door again. "Gotta save our asses now. You can have all the sex you want later." He paused and glanced at the door ahead. "If there is a later..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a forever long wait... I hope everyone enjoys this chp. My other half on here deserves some credit for some stellar lines near the end! Her input always wonderfully impacts this forever long fic and I'm always more than grateful for it. ^^
> 
> -V

"Step down?" Akashi hissed. The venom in those two words sent a shiver down Kise's spine. "Me? Step down? Kazunari..."

Takao grit his teeth and jerked his gun forward in warning. "It's exactly what you think it means, Sei-chan. I think it's time we do away with the throne altogether."

Akashi barked a laugh, so unlike himself that Kise felt Aomine jump at his side. 

"You really are an idiot, Kazunari." He waved his free hand in Takao's direction. "And to think I saw such potential in your abilities. I should have known Shintarou would favor stupidity to balance his brains."

Kise eyes flickered toward Takao. He saw his jaw clench as he took half a step forward. 

"You need to learn to school your expressions, Kazunari. You're far too easy to read." Akashi's fury disappeared, replaced with a cold, contemplative smirk. "You'd be so easy to break. Shintarou is your weakness and he's nothing. Worthless. An easy target."

Takao fired before Kise could shout the warning to stop him. He almost hadn't seen what Akashi was doing, why he was wasting time talking. He was so focused on Takao's reactions and the chilling gleam in Akashi's eyes. But Aomine had bumped against him, grounding him and bringing his focus full circle. 

Akashi's arm had dipped behind his back and when he stepped to the side to avoid the bullet a wicked grin spread across his face. "Did you hear nothing I said, Kazunari? You're too easy to read. I know what you're going to do before the thought fully forms in your mind."

Takao thrust his gun forward. "You're a liar," he hissed. "You thought I'd never betray you and yet--"

"You thought I believed you were entirely loyal to me?" Akashi's breath left him in a soft chuckle. "I had a temporary advantage, Kazunari, and I was well aware of the fact that it could backfire. Did it surprise me when you turned so quickly? Perhaps, but I recovered and now... What was it you said before you turned that gun against me?" 

Takao glanced at Kise and Kise's eyes narrowed. He still couldn't figure out what Akashi had behind his back. Another gun, perhaps? Something deadlier? He didn't want to find out. 

"Ryouta," Aomine whispered, leaning close to Kise's side. "Shoot him now, when he's distracted."

"He's not distracted," Kise hissed through gritted teeth. "He's watching us."

As if on queue, Akashi glanced their way and smirked. "Two guns are better than one," Akashi breathed, pulling a second gun from behind his back. 

He fired before Kise or Takao could react. Kise grunted when Aomine slammed into his side. His weight rode him down to the ground, saving him from a bullet to the head. Blood sprayed from a gash on Takao's arm, but the bullet had only caught the outer skin. It went no deeper.

Kise shoved Aomine off of him and turned his body to the side, arms still outstretched with his gun at the ready, but his vision was hampered by a cloud of smoke. 

He cursed under his breath as Akashi's laughter echoed around them. "Two guns may be better than one, but no amount of fire power will help you against a target you cannot see."

Aomine cursed beside him. Kise watched for any sign of a shadow, any shape he could make out in the fog. He jumped when he heard a gunshot and immediately sought out Takao, who still laid on the ground a few feet away. 

"Takaocchi, I can't--"

"Thought I saw him," Takao cut him off before signaling Kise to remain quiet. 

They sat and listened, guns leveled in every direction. Aomine slid a hand down Kise's leg and removed a knife from a hidden sheath that blended into the fabric against his thigh. He held the blade upside down in a tight grasp, a different style than Kise's own knife wielding, but no doubt just as a effective. Nothing but silence filled the air, broken by Takao's pained, ragged breaths. 

"He's not here," Takao finally said. He slowly pushed himself to his feet and made his way toward the two of them. "There are several secret passages in here that I don't even know about. He probably took advantage of it." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, his gun hanging limply at his side. "They're small, but that midget bastard could fit in the kitchen cabinets, I swear. He probably hides in there to make sure we don't poison his food."

Kise shook his head. Takao's commentary was like a breath of fresh air. It never ceased to bring a faint smile to his face. 

"Glad to see you can still find humor in this situation," Kise said as Aomine clapped Takao on the back. 

"Hope that arm doesn't hurt too bad." Aomine grinned. "Gonna leave an impressive scar though."

"Just adding to the collection," Takao replied with a grin in return. 

"Join the club," Kise grumbled, pressing a hand against the wound in his side. With all that ensued after Haizaki had shot him, he had barely felt the pain, so distracted by everything else. It was gradually catching up to him and he knew that he'd grow weaker the longer this suicide mission continued. 

He glanced at Aomine, who was also worse for wear. Blood dripped down his arm from the impressively wide wound Haizaki had left behind. It was shaped almost like a grin, a red, bloody grin so similar to Haizaki's cocky smirks. It made Kise cringe. 

"We need to find something to staunch the bleeding of these..." He gestured between the three of them. "We'll end up as useless as Shougo if we keep ignoring them."

Aomine's expression darkened at the mention of Haizaki's name, but he said nothing in return. His fingers curled into fists at his sides and Kise reached out to close his own fingers over the calloused knuckles. 

"I know where we can find something," Takao chimed in. "But I can't guarantee we won't find a party behind every door. Sei-chan is unpredictable with security and now that he knows I've thrown my flag in with you two, well... He might bring out the big guns."

"Like they'd be any fucking match for us," Aomine growled in response. 

Takao snorted and shook his head. "You don't know these guys. Even if they can't win, they'll put up one hell of a fight and you might not be able to continue. Even if you come out alive, you definitely won't be in any shape for a victory dance."

Aomine scowled and Kise patted his hand to try and quiet his frustration. Storing the warning in the back of his mind, he gestured toward the doorway Takao came through with a nod of his head.

"That's probably the safest route right now, yeah?" He tried to conjure an image of the blueprint in his mind, but he was having trouble supplying the right information. He blamed the blow to the head when Akashi had punched him into the ground. "I'm assuming you took out any guards that were in your way."

Takao's brow rose. "I didn't have to."

Kise grimaced. That's what he would've done if he had been in the same position. Perhaps he overestimated Takao.

Then Takao smiled. "But I did."

"Goddamnit, Takao," Aomine growled, jerking his hand out of Kise's grasp. "Do you really think we have time for your shit?"

Takao lifted his arms at the side of his head. "Just trying to lighten the mood. Jeeze."

Kise sighed and shook his head. He glanced at the gun in his hand, sliding his thumb down the side to release the magazine. He knew that Aomine wouldn't come unprepared, but habit made him check his ammo before entering the other room. 

A warmth spread across his back, making him tense up before he heard a familiar voice whisper against his ear.

"Wanna trade, baby?" 

He glanced to the side to find Aomine offering two knives. Kise's brow rose at the sight of the second one, knowing that his final knife had been removed by Aomine when Akashi was still in the room.

"Where did you get--" His breath caught in his throat when he saw the words engraved on the hilt of the blade. 

_Beginner's luck._

His lips twitched upward and he angled the gun backward in Aomine's waiting hand. "And here I thought I'd lost that," he said, as he took the knives, his fingers tightening around the hilts. It was a comforting feeling to have his favored weapon in his grasp. 

"As if I'd let you lose that thing," Aomine breath tickled across the side of Kise's neck and just as he was about to turn to steal a kiss he heard Takao clear his throat and saw him gesture toward the door.

"Enough, you stupid love birds." Takao brandished he gun toward the door again. "Gotta save our asses now. You can have all the sex you want later." He paused and glanced at the door ahead. "If there is a later..."

* * *

 

The coast was surprisingly clear when they passed through the first doorway and clearer still when they continued on into another room. It took Takao a few minutes of poking around at different cabinets and shelves, but eventually he found the first aid kits he was looking for and he gestured for Kise to take a seat on the only chair in the room after making quick work of Aomine's wounds and his own steadily bleeding cut.

"I've seen Haizaki's finger gun at work," Takao said as pulled a slew of first aid equipment out of the cabinets. "It's strong enough to stun and, I guess if it hits the right place, it can kill. But the bullets don't have the power behind them that other guns have." He grabbed the edge of Kise's shirt and rolled it up. "The bullet shouldn't be too far in. I can get it out, but..." He offered a roll of gauze. "You might wanna bite this cause it's gonna hurt like a bitch."

In all his years as an assassin, Aomine had never had a bullet lodged in his body. He had them rip right through, leaving a hole in his body that patched up with skin grafts and all sorts of fun creams and bandages. He had them graze his skin, adding to his never ending collection of scars. He was also accustomed to pain and he assumed Kise was too, but when Takao dug a pair of tweezers into his side, Kise gripped his hand so hard he felt a crack and his scream through the gauze made Aomine's stomach tighten.

"You've got this, baby," Aomine breathed, squeezing Kise's hand to remind him he was there. It was hard to hear Kise scream the way he was right now and even harder to imagine how he could've possibly pointed a gun at him less than a day ago. 

Takao glanced over at him. "I don't envy what you two have," he said as he pressed against Kise's side. He shifted the tweezers and grit his teeth when Kise's hoarse whimper sounded through the gauze. "I mean, maybe I envy your love story. It's a damn good one, I guess. But you're both here and you're both bloodied and... I don't know, he could die in your arms right now and it's like a Romeo and Juliet tragedy, then what was the point?"

Aomine growled something unintelligible before pulling his gun from his holster. "And you could die right here if you don't watch your fucking mouth, Takao." The only thing keeping him from pulling the trigger was Kise. "Kise may trust you, but as far as I'm concerned you can turn on us as easily as you turned on Akashi. I'll believe you're on our side when you see this through to the end."

Takao snorted and finally pulled the bullet from Kise's side with a sickening squelch. "Believe me or not, Aomine. I don't care." He dropped the bullet on a piece of unused gauze and grabbed another fresh pad to staunch the bleeding. "Akashi killed my entire team. Everyone I fought with, everyone I fought for, dead. The Shutoku massacre isn't just a story. It's my past. I lived through it. That's what happens when you leave one witness alive. In this business, that's your ticket to hell."

Aomine fought back a grimace and kept his face as neutral as possible.

Takao took it as a hint to continue. "Funny thing about massacre though..." He grabbed Kise's hand and urged him to press against the gauze himself while he turned to grab medical tape. "You aren't supposed to leave anyone alive." He picked at the end of the tape until it came free and he snapped it off with a fierce bite. "But Sei-chan saw something in me. Maybe it was the fact that I was holding my own against three of his most renowned assassins. Maybe it was my unusual ability. Who knows? But he stopped them from making that killing blow."

He leaned back and wiped his brow, surveying his patch job. Aomine eyed the work himself and had to admit that Takao did a damn good job with the temporary fix. If Kise was as strong as Aomine believed he was, that bandage would see him through till the end of this. 

Kise shifted in his seat and Aomine watched as he ran his fingers around the edges of the bandage. "Where'd you learn to do this?"

Takao's brow rose. "Shin-chan," he replied with a shrug. "When you're married to a doctor you kinda pick up on little medical skills like this. Bandaging wounds is nothing compared to what he does." He grinned.

"Does he know?" Kise asked. "About this? About what you do for a living?"

Takao's grin faltered. "Ah, no. Not exactly." He sighed, his lips pulling into a frown. "He knows a half truth... Thinks I work for some government agency. He knows my hands are stained, but he doesn't know it's death as well as blood that has dirtied my image."

Kise nodded and glanced at Aomine. Aomine sighed and shook his head. They could both sympathize to an extent. After all, they had only known half truths about one another's lives until now.

"But I want to keep it that way," Takao added. "I don't want to pull him into this world. He's too good for it. He makes a real difference every day. The world needs someone like him." Aomine didn't know Takao as well as Kise, but he was certain he'd never seen such a pained look on his face before. "That's why I want to end this. Because Akashi is holding Shin-chan over my head. He's threatened him more times than I can count to ensure my obedience and I don't care who gets in my way... I'll kill them all to keep Shin-chan alive."

Aomine nodded. He knew that look of determination well. Perhaps Takao was trustworthy. He certainly seemed to follow the same path that Aomine followed. 

"Then let's end it," Kise said. He squeezed Aomine's hand and Aomine took the hint, giving him a tug to get him back on his feet. He tilted from side to side, wincing as his skin pulled taut beneath the bandages on his side. Aomine grit his teeth. He saw the way Kise's face pinched with the movement, but he also saw the resilience in his eyes. 

"Let's get moving," Aomine said, pressing a hand against Kise's back to steady him. He already had his gun tight in the grip of his other hand. "Where the hell do we go from here?"

Takao pointed toward the ceiling. "No where to go, but up. Akashi is that cliché villain with his throne on the top floor where he strokes the cat in his lap and--"

"Too bad the kitty got loose."

The smooth, liquid voice made them all jump. Aomine had his gun pointed in the direction of the sound and he saw Kise with his knives already in hand out of the corner of his eye. 

The man that stepped into the light was tall. His long, black hair nearly touched his shoulders and it looked like he spent almost as much time on it as Kise usually did. His lips were full and pouty, but they smiled at the sight of the three of them crowded together, weapons pointed in his direction.

"Reo-chan?" Takao took a few steps forward. The fact that he still had his gun at the ready made Aomine tighten his grip on his own. He didn't like the look of this man. "I thought you were supposed to stay--"

"As were you." The smile spread wider across his face. "And we can both see how well that worked out, Taka-chan."

Takao grimaced. 

"Our fearless leader has been gone too long for our comfort," Reo, Aomine assumed his name was-though Takao had a tendency to give out stupid, shortened nicknames-from hearing Takao say it, admitted with a wave of his hand. The motion drew Aomine's attention to the fact that he had no weapon on his person, as far as he could see. "You forced us out of our cages. You'll have to deal with the consequences of freeing such wild animals."

Takao glanced back at the two of them. Aomine wanted to tell him to keep Reo in sight. "You two go ahead. I can handle Reo-chan."

Reo giggled. He actually giggled. Aomine grit his teeth and fought the urge to pull the trigger. "It's cute that you think you're a match for me, Taka-chan." He pressed his fingers to his lips in contemplation. "But I think I'll pass on a showdown with you. After all," Reo's long, delicate fingers gestured between Aomine and Takao. 

Aomine instantly bristled. 

"I think I want to ask Sei-chan if I can keep the pretty blond one." He licked his lips as he eyed Kise. "There are many things I can think of to do with him."

"Aomine, wait--"

Aomine pulled the trigger, twice, ignoring Takao's shout of warning. Both bullets missed their mark by mere centimeters. Reo had dipped out of the way just in time. 

"What the fuck?" Aomine growled, taking aim again.

Kise grabbed his arm and squeezed. "Daiki, calm down." 

Kise's hand on his arm drew attention to the fact that he was shaking. At least he knew why his aim was off. He took a deep breath, eyes narrowed at Reo who smirked back at him. 

"You're a hazard, Ryouta," Aomine hissed, seeing Kise shake his head out of the corner of his eye. He didn't think before reacting when someone threatened Kise. He was never this distracted when Kise wasn't by his side. 

"I can take care of myself, Daiki," Kise reminded him softly. He wasn't looking at Aomine, his eyes remained trained on Reo.

"Yeah, yeah..." Aomine glanced past Kise to catch Takao's eye. "What the hell was that, Takao?"

Takao glanced at Reo before returning his attention to Aomine, evidently satisfied that he wasn't going to move. "I tried to warn you," Takao said, gesturing toward Reo with the tip of his gun. "He's got... A gift."

He saw Reo smile.

"An acute sense of hearing and touch," Takao supplied. "Strong enough that he can hear the release of the bullet in the gun." He moved to the side and reached a hand out to press his palm against the top of the counters where the first aid equipment still sat. "If I press my hand here and you tap the other end of the counter, I won't feel it. But he would." 

"Heaven and Earth," Reo said, pulling their attention back to them. "I've been blessed with abilities of heaven and earth."

"That's what he like to call it," Takao added with a grin. "I think he should call it air bending and earth bending. Have you seen _The Last Airbender_? That's a damn good show. It's so much cooler when you--"

"Taka-chan," Reo snapped, his cocky facade fading to irritation. "As much as I love being talked about... I need you to shut up. I have a prize to win." Reo's smile returned as his attention shifted back toward Kise.

Aomine felt Kise shift at his side and he gripped his gun tighter, his finger hovering over the trigger. 

"I need to eliminate some obstacles though." Reo glanced at Aomine with a grin. "Too bad I can't be more selfish." His eyes rolled up and down Aomine's body. "You're not too bad looking yourself. A little too rough around the edges for me." The way he eyed Kise even made Aomine uncomfortable. "But you... Your face is flawless. Your hair... Your lips... I can only imagine how well you can use those lips."

Aomine let loose an animalistic snarl, ready to pull the trigger again. 

Another shot rang out and this time the bullet grazed it's mark. But Aomine hadn't fired his gun. 

Reo had swerved to the side, but the bullet left a slim line of red across the top of his shoulder. Aomine saw his eyes flash dangerously and could see the reason he was considered one of the top assassins in Rakuzan. 

"Kise, get the hell out of here."

Kise grabbed Aomine's arm and squeezed. "Senpai?"

Kasamatsu stepped into the light. His cheeks were stained with tracks of dried tears and, when Aomine glanced at the shocked look on Kise's face, he got the idea that this wasn't a norm for Kasamatsu. 

Reo's eyes lit up in a way that screamed more danger than the wanting look he gave Kise. "You," he whispered. "I thought I left you on the ground back there."

"I never stay down," Kasamatsu snarled, lowering the gun at his side. Aomine met his eyes and didn't like the darkness the saw there. Something was missing. No, _someone_ was missing. "Get the hell out of here," Kasamatsu repeated. "All of you. I'll finish this."

"You're out of bullets, Yukio-chan," Reo's voice held a teasing lilt and Aomine could see the way the nickname made Kasamatsu's expression darken further. 

Kasamatsu dropped the gun and released a pair of knives into his hands and held them in a way that let them catch the light. "So are you," he whispered in response. "Used the last one on that glasses wearing bastard. I won't let you get away with that."

"Pity," Reo began with a slight shrug. "Waste of a perfectly good bullet, if you ask me. It was intended for you, after all."

Kise dug his fingers into Aomine's arm at the sight of the raw fury on Kasamatsu's face. "Let's go," he whispered, giving Aomine's arm an insistent tug.

Reo's eyes flickered from Kise back to Kasamatsu. He smirked and held his arms out, beckoning Kasamatsu forward. "You're losing me a beautiful prize, but," Reo flashed his teeth in wicked a grin. "You might be much more fun to play with, Yukio-chan."

Kasamatsu's fingers tightened on the hilt of the knives. "Don't underestimate me. I'll cut that grin right out of your face, Reo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have read to this point, give yourself a gold star. And I mean that. Like if I had gold stars to give, the computer (or phone or whatever device you're reading it on) would be spitting one out at you because it literally makes me so happy that anyone would want to read through something this ridiculously long. You have all been such wonderful encouragement throughout the entirety of this fic and I want to thank you all for that. Your comments never fail to bring a smile to my face and when I have trouble writing the next chp sometimes I go and read them and I remember that there are people out there who are invested in these characters and this story and it pushes me onward. 
> 
> There will only be three more chps of this fic because I've finally realize how the clear cut path to the ending i initially wanted for this. Thank you all for being so patient! Gold stars all around!
> 
> -V


	23. It's Not Over Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone dies someday.
> 
> "Oi." He reached forward and grabbed Kise's wrist, pulling him back against his chest. Kise blinked up at him, confused for a moment before Aomine said, "If you go... I go."
> 
> Kise's eyes widened. Aomine didn't need to explain what he meant. "No, Daiki," he whispered and shook his head. "You go, I go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m aware that the space between these chapters has only grown. I sincerely apologize and I'm nothing but grateful for your patience with me and this fic. This one was a little harder than I thought it would be to churn out because of things going on irl, but I plugged through. The next one won’t take nearly as long, I swear it this time, because I've already started working on it. This is the home stretch. This chapter is a lot of talking, but I promise there will be action in the next one! Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> -V

Aomine closed the door behind him and sank to the floor. 

"Fuck..." He whispered, drawing Kise's attention. "He said that glasses wearing bastard. It's got to be... who else could it be?" He looked up at Kise.

Kise frowned and reached out to him. Aomine reluctantly grabbed his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "I don't know." Kise whispered in return. "But we don't have time to dwell on it." He paused before adding, "I didn't know you cared about him so much." 

"I didn't... don't." Aomine corrected himself as he pulled his fingers through his hair with a growl. "Fuck, I don't know anymore. Imayoshi was... Ruthless." _Immortal._

Kise nodded and Aomine knew he understood. Kasamatsu was the same. Their positions in the assassin community had been solidified long ago by their unquestionable skill. He knew that Kasamatsu alone had more kills under his belt than himself and Kise combined. Imayoshi was no different.

It was so easy to think of him as immortal.

"We have to go," Kise finally said after giving Aomine a moment of silence. "It's..." Kise bit his lip and shook his head with a sigh. "Everyone dies someday. We're not immortal, Daiki."

_Everyone dies someday._

Aomine watched as Kise turned away from him and remembered the sinking feeling of watching him fall to the floor after what he believed was a fatal shot from Haizaki. He could still remember the feeling of that all encompassing rage, so hot it felt like he was melting from the inside out. Beneath that, beneath the desire to enact his revenge, he remembered the hollow, empty feeling of loneliness, so cold in comparison to the rage that fueled him then.

He couldn't imagine a world without Kise and in that moment he had thought he had to endure one. 

_Everyone dies someday._

"Oi." He reached forward and grabbed Kise's wrist, pulling him back against his chest. Kise blinked up at him, confused for a moment before Aomine said, "If you go... I go."

Kise's eyes widened. Aomine didn't need to explain what he meant. "No, Daiki," he whispered and shook his head. "You go, _I_ go."

Content to accept that promise for now, Aomine leaned forward with the intention of stealing a kiss when Takao let loose a low groan. 

"C'mon guys, really?" He gestured toward the hallway ahead of them. "We have to go kick some bad guy ass and you're being all mushy. This isn't some romance movie you know." He took a few steps forward to encourage them to follow. "Besides, it's not that cute anymore."

Kise's lips twitched into a faint smile as he pulled away. Aomine couldn't help but grin. 

"The movie would be a hit if I was the star," Kise called after him as they slowly made their way down the hall. 

Takao snorted. "Who are you kidding, Ryou-chan? Your love story is touching and all, but once I'm introduced, I'd steal the show." He waved his gun free hand in the air. "Besides, I've got a pretty damn good love story too. Can't get any better than an assassin and a--"

"Doctor?" 

Takao froze at the sound of the voice and Aomine pulled Kise against the wall and sank behind a cluster of potted plants that lined the hallway. He kept a firm grip on Kise's arm, even as he jerked toward Takao.

"Kou-chan..." Takao muttered, eyes resolutely trained forward.

Aomine peered through the leaves. A man with blond hair, a darker blond than Kise's, and wide smile appeared at the end of the hall. He took slow, purposeful steps toward Takao. Every movement put Aomine's nerves on edge. 

Especially that smile.

"Kazu-chan!" The man exclaimed, extending his arms out on either side of his body in a welcome greeting. Aomine could see a gun firmly grasped in his right hand. "Somehow I knew I'd run into you."

Despite the friendly smile, Aomine noticed Takao shift his grip on his own gun. His fingers drummed against the handle.

"Kou-chan, what are you doing here?" Takao smiled in return, lips tight and teeth grinding. "I thought you were supposed to be with Sei-chan. You were all supposed to-"

"So were you." The man gestured toward the potted plants, his grin widening. "But instead I find you escorting the enemy through our base." He shrugged. "I guess we've all got our priorities wrong, right?"

Takao's lips twitched and his eyes flickered toward Aomine and Kise. "I think mine are finally in the right place."

Kise shoved Aomine's arm away from him and stood, his lips curled into a snarl. "I'm sick of this shit," he hissed as he stood, knives at the ready. He made his way toward Takao and sneered at the newcomer. "It's all games with you guys. How about you stop beating around the bush and tell me where Akashicchi is?"

The man's eyes lit up and he lifted his gun. Alarm bells went off in Aomine's head, but before he could react Takao tackled Kise to the ground. A barrage of bullets followed them as they slid across the floor, narrowly missing Takao's leg.

Aomine instinctively wrapped an arm around Kise and pulled him against his chest. His eyes widened as he stared at the bullet marks that lined the ground. 

"How the fuck..." He swore the gun in this man's hand was nothing more than a simple handgun, but he fired the entire magazine as quickly as a machine gun would release the bullets. "That was fifteen rounds. How the fuck did he--"

"Hayama Koutarou," Takao groaned as he rolled over. "Unbelievable ability to rapidly fire bullets from any gun, no matter how small." Takao rolled his head to the side and gave Aomine a half smile. "Basically means the guy is good with his fingers."

"And that was two, Kazu-chan," Hayama called. Aomine could hear his footsteps steadily approaching.

He cast a skeptical glance at Takao and Takao lifted two fingers. "He was using two fingers to shoot."

"You can't use two fingers on a trigger. There's not enough space to move them both. Fucks with your accuracy," Aomine countered. He should know. Firearms were his forte. He'd done more research on them than he ever had for any school subject. 

Takao snorted. "Sei-chan is made of money, Aomine. He had a special firearm created for Kou-chan." He waved four fingers at Aomine. "He can use all four fingers if he really wants to."

"Kazu-chan, it's so nice of you to brag about me." Hayama stopped in front of them, that wide grin still firmly in place. Aomine noticed that two of his front teeth came to sharp points, almost like fangs. Hayama's eyes flickered toward Aomine and Kise. "I really wanted a chance to play with you guys. I've heard you're loads of fun, but I'm not allowed to touch. Sei-chan's orders." He mimed a weeping face before that grin reappeared. "I'm actually here for Kazu-chan."

Hayama bent forward and grabbed Takao's wrist pulling him off the ground. Takao didn't protest, but he jerked his arm out of Hayama's grasp as soon as he was on his feet. "Sei-chan wanted to make sure I showed you this." He pulled a small tablet from his back pocket and let the screen flicker to life. 

From where he was still crouched against the wall, Aomine couldn't quite see what was on the screen. But from the way Takao's face paled and Kise's face fell he had a feeling he didn't need to see in order to know.

"Shin-chan..." Takao reached forward, hand shaking as he pressed his fingers against the screen. 

Aomine pulled himself to his feet, taking Kise along with him. 

"Daiki..." Kise gripped at his arm and shook him. "That's..."

"Yeah..." Aomine confirmed. Midorima laid on his side, blindfolded, gagged. His shirt was torn to shreds, bloodied strips clinging to his sweat soaked skin. He couldn't tell if they were knife wounds or whip lashes. He grimaced at the sight. Midorima's arms were tied behind his back and his feet were bound together with thick, tough rope. This was carefully crafted torture, something that took days to plan out and execute.

"Shit..." Aomine finally whispered, staring at the screen.

"But..." Takao's voice wavered. "You told me... Sei-chan said he was safe. That he wouldn't hurt--"

Hayama's lips twitched. "As long as you obey," he corrected with a shrug. "But you chose to defy him and... Well, nobody defies Sei-chan without a price."

Takao shook his head. "How did he even-- it was barely an hour ago. He couldn't have--"

"We had eyes on him the entire time, Kazu-chan." Hayama thumbed the side of the tablet and let the screen turn black. He pocketed the device and waved a hand in Takao's direction. "You talked about him so much. Did you really think none of that information would get back to Sei-chan? There are no secrets in Rakuzan."

Aomine grabbed Kise's hand and pulled on his arm. He saw the way Takao's face fell and the way he picked himself back up, with pure, unadulterated fury. He knew that feeling., knew what would be the result of this showdown. It would be better if they got out of his way.

"Let's go," he breathed, giving Kise's arm another tug. 

"But Takaocchi..." Kise took a few hesitant steps toward Takao, a knife loose in his grasp. He tightened his fingers around the hilt and Aomine could tell his muscles were readying themselves to utilize the weapon until Takao lifted a hand and shook his head.

"No," he snapped, his eyes narrowed into slits. "I've got this. I know Koutarou and his weaknesses."

Hayama laughed. "And we've already got yours, Kazu-chan." He shifted, raising his gun to Takao's level. "Let's do this."

Kise growled and his arm tensed to throw the knife forward but Takao caught he eye right before he released. "Kise, really," He dropped the nickname and made Kise hesitate. "Go. You've got somewhere to be. I can handle this."

Aomine let them have their silent conversation, watching until Kise finally conceded and pulled away.

"This could all end if you go," Takao added, even after Kise backed down. "Take him out. He's your last hit, right?"

Aomine nodded in confirmation. _One more hit_

"Don't let him get away with it," Kise said, gesturing toward Hayama with the tip of his blade. "You're lucky. I would've gutted you for Midorimacchi."

Hayama's eyes lit up and he tapped his fingers against the side of his unique gun, drawing attention toward the firearm. "I would've loved to see you try."

Kise sneered and Aomine led them away, fighting the urge to to shoot Hayama on the spot. He'd never been all that close with Midorima. He had always suspected their friendship had existed simply out of obligation because of how close their spouses were, but Midorima still meant something to him. And he meant _everything_ to Takao.

That was the mistake, Aomine realized. _You don't become someone important to an assassin._

~~~

As they made their way through the rooms and the hallways, they took out whatever men Akashi had in place. 

Aomine had forgotten how well they worked together. It was one thing to seamlessly move with one another through every day life and another thing entirely to fight side by side. Kise was effortless in his ability to wield the knives. He'd been on the wrong end of that blade, but it was different watching Kise direct them at someone else.

He moved with a liquid grace that made him a difficult target, constantly dodging, swaying just out of reach before swiping at them with the knives. It was almost like a dance,and Aomine was captivated. Kise expertly moved around him as he took men down with brute force and fire power. They never got in one another's way. Kise was like an extension of Aomine's abilities, drawing on his agility, on his precision. 

It was almost... fun.

Until they neared a large, ornately carved door that clearly screamed trap. All the men leading up to this door had been nothing more than easy targets. They barely put up a fight. It was too easy. Too cliché.

"Ryouta, wait," he reached forward to grab Kise wrist, to warn him. Kise took another step forward even as he glanced over his shoulder at Aomine. It took his eyes off of everything ahead of him and that was a mistake.

Aomine saw, but he wasn't fast enough to stop it.

Two long arms came out of the shadows from ahead of Kise. A hand covered his mouth, while the other arm wrapped around his upper body and dragged him away. Aomine's shout of protest was ignored and when he lunged forward to grab at Kise's leg he felt a strong grip on his wrist. He flung himself around in time to catch a brief glimpse of the butt of a gun before it connected with his forehead.

* * *

 

Kise groaned as he came to. He couldn't see through the blindfold over his eyes, but he could feel a body pinning him against a wall and was vaguely aware of the fact that his hands were free and lacked the weight of his knives. 

He was about to comment on his lack of sight when the blindfold loosened and fell around his neck. The first thing that caught his attention was Aomine, hands tied behind his back and eyes shaded by a similar blindfold. The large man--Nebuya, Kise remembered Akashi saying--stood over him, close enough to stop him if he moved. When he pulled his eyes away, reluctant as he was to lose sight of Aomine, his jaw dropped when he recognized the face of the man pinning him down.

"Murasaki--"

"Kise-chin," Murasakibara shook his long purple hair out of his face and frowned. Kise knew that expression, that bored, apathetic look Murasakibara often sported. 

He immediately shoved forward, but Murasakibara had a knife to his throat in seconds and he shook his head with a soft sigh.

"Don't fight it, Kise-chin," Murasakibara warned. "Aka-chin will make me kill you if you fight and it takes too much effort to clean up after that."

Kise angled his head away from the cool press of the blade. He tried to move his legs, but couldn't shift them more than a few inches. Murasakibara had him efficiently pinned and his strength was far greater than Kise ever remembered it being.

He focused instead on Aomine and the way he rolled against the ground as he regained consciousness. Even from where he was across the room Kise could see the red welt forming on Aomine's forehead and wondered what they had done to knock him out. 

When Aomine groaned, Nebuya knelt at his side and tugged the blindfold off. Kise watched Aomine blink, waited for him to realize the predicament they were in. Nebuya jerked him to his feet, but kept his arms securely tied behind his back.

_Daiki..._

As if he heard Kise's silent call, Aomine's eyes flickered upward. They widened at the sight of Kise pinned against the wall. Or they might have widened at the sight of who was doing the pinning. 

"What the fu--"

Nebuya jerked him backward and wrapped a large, muscular arm around Aomine's front. A knife flashed in the light and Kise watched it press against the dark skin of Aomine's neck. He swallowed hard.

There was only one person missing now.

"Ryouta... Daiki..."

Kise's eyes flickered to the corner. Akashi stepped into the light, a faint smile on his lips. Kise's chest tightened with every step he took until he stood in the middle of the room, an equal distance between Kise and Aomine.

"You thought you had the upper hand when Kazunari changed his alliance, didn't you?"

Kise scowled, but didn't respond.

"Did you really think I wasn't expecting something like that? I'm more than well-aware of your bond of friendship, Ryouta." Akashi gestured toward him. "He was a liability from the very beginning, but quite a useful one. You see," Akashi lifted a chess piece into the air. "He was nothing more than a pawn." 

The shiny black piece caught the light, reflecting off the smooth circle that sat at the top. 

"A pawn is nothing more than a sacrifice to pave the way for the useful pieces." He lifted a small, black horse and flicked the pawn in Kise's direction. "Like my knight. Koutarou always was the more valiant of the three of my players. But even knights know where their loyalties lie and know what lengths to go to in order to ensure that loyalty remains secure."

He pocketed the knight and removed the bishop and the rook. His smile slowly spread into a grin as he tossed the rook toward Nebuya.

"My solid foundation." He brought the bishop in front of his face and his eyes flickered toward Kise. "And my versatile bishop to take out your key players, Shouichi and Yukio."

Kise's eyes widened. He knew Akashi was cunning. He had always been. But he had been properly convinced when Takao turned against him, convinced that Akashi hadn't known. He convinced himself that Akashi had to regroup when he disappeared, that he had to improvise when there was a flaw in his plan.

_He knew all along..._

"Yes, Ryouta," Akashi responded to the conclusion he didn't voice aloud. "I expected this. In fact, I hoped it would happen. You see, as long as Takao was out of the way early in the game, I had everything in place for victory."

He turned away from Kise to grin at Aomine. "The only bump in the road was when you took out Shougo." Akashi waved a hand in the air and a king appeared, like a slight of hand magic trick. "You had to defeat my game changer." Akashi's eyes darkened momentarily before he sighed and shook his head. "But no matter. Because here we are." He spread his arms wide, king fisted tightly in his left hand. "At my checkmate."

"Akashi, you're not stupid enough to think you've won," Aomine snarled. Kise saw the way the knife pressed harder against his throat. It didn't cut into the skin just yet. "It's not over until-"

"You die, Daiki," Akashi finished for him. "You have to die for me to win."

Aomine's eyes flickered between Akashi and Kise.

"I chose my king." Akashi tilted his head back and grinned at Kise. "So much potential... You don't even know your full strength yet. I couldn't possibly pass that up."

"I'm not your king, Akashicchi," Kise snapped, jerking forward until Murasakibara pressed the knife harder against his throat. He didn't even flinch when he felt it break the skin, ignoring the warmth of blood that trailed down his neck. "Even if you left me alive, I'd never do what you wanted. This isn't a game!"

Akashi whirled around. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he stalked toward Kise. "My father did not see it that way."

Murasakibara shifted against Kise the closer Akashi got to them. 

"To my father, it was all a game to be won." Akashi lowered his voice until it was barely more than a whisper. Kise was sure Aomine wouldn't hear it. "Even against me."

Kise swallowed hard and watched as Akashi toyed with the king piece in his hand. "How do you think it feels growing up with a father who runs the largest organization of assassins in the world? I was always told that father had "business" to attend to. That his trips to other countries were strictly "business". All the while father is telling me to gather my pieces, to play them well so I could take his place."

Akashi took a step back and glanced at Aomine over his shoulder. "So much promise..." He sounded almost wistful. "But don't make the mistake of allowing yourself to get too attached, he'd say. So I stopped caring. I stopped wondering what people thought I was to them, because to me they were all potential pieces in whatever game I was supposed to play."

Akashi slowly crossed the room, finally including Aomine. "Imagine my surprise... when I had to play a very dangerous, deadly game against my own father." Akashi smiled again, his mouth a little too wide and his eyes flashing in a way that made him appear manic. "But I made all the right moves and played all the right pieces and father, well, he fell to my prowess and I emerged victorious." He paused and his eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm always victorious," he hissed. " _I am absolute._ "

"Akashi, this shit needs to end," Aomine said. Kise met his gaze and caught the desperation hidden beneath the mask of indifference. They were losing on all fronts and it was coming too close to the end for either of them to be comfortable. "Your father is dead. You killed him. We get it. He doesn't give a shit how you run his empire anymore."

"You don't have to play the games he had you play," Kise added, trying to keep the desperation out of his own voice. If this was a game, as Akashi said it was, then they were dangerously close to losing. The stakes were much too high for Kise's liking and, for once, the thought of death terrified him. But he didn't fear his own death this time.

"You know, Daiki," Akashi began, a grin spreading wide across his face giving his eyes a maniacal gleam. "You're right. This does need to end." He pocketed the king and drew a gun from behind his back. Kise's eyes widened. He recognized that gun.

He immediately shoved against Murasakibara, attempting to get a leg up between them to shove him away.

Murasakibara pressed him harder against the wall and his voice rose in a whine. "Kise-chin, stop struggling." He shifted the knife until it was right below Kise's chin. "Aka-chin will get mad if I let you go."

"But you have to!" Kise pleaded, shifting in Murasakibara's grasp. "Please! He'll kill him!"

Akashi flicked the safety off the gun. "How would it feel, Aomine, to be shot dead by your own precious firearm?" Aomine's eyes narrowed as he made Nebuya's job of restraining him much more difficult. "Or maybe..." He pocketed the king piece and pulled out a blade, his thumb caressing along the hilt over the words engraved on the side. "Wouldn't it be more painful for me to use this?"

"Akashicchi!" Kise shouted, shoving against Murasakibara's body again. He tried to take advantage of the small openings, but every time Murasakibara gave and Kise took his chances, his back hit the wall harder than before and his struggle only felt more and more fruitless. 

"I so wanted you to be the one to finish this, Ryouta," Akashi breathed, bringing the knife up to his face. "It would've been such a successful way to break you." With a sigh, he shrugged and dropped the knife to the ground.

"Akashicchi!"

"I've gone this far without getting my own hands dirty."

Kise lunged forward, giving Murasakibara's strength a run for its money. 

"Nebuya."

"No'!" Kise shrieked, and redoubled his efforts. Murasakibara's grip gradually loosened, but not enough to give Kise the chance to escape. "Akashicchi, don't!" His words fell on deaf ears.

He watched as Nebuya pulled Aomine up against his body and whispered something in his ear. Aomine's face fell and his body went slack. He'd finally stopped fighting. 

Kise's heart sank and he gave another fierce shove. "Murasakibara, you have to let me go. Let me go! It's _Daiki_... Please. It's--"

"I can't," Murasakibara whispered. He sounded so defeated. "I can't let you go."

"What if that was Himuro?" Kise snapped, his eyes wide, frenetic. His heart thundered in his chest and he saw Aomine slowly lift his head to look at him. "You'd want to go to him, right? He'd need you. He'd--"

"Muro-chin?" Murasakibara's grip loosened.

"Don't you dare release him, Atsushi," Akashi warned without turning away from Aomine.

"But if it were Muro-chin..."

Murasakibara's arms finally went slack and Kise shoved him aside in time to see Aomine mouth the words, _Till death do we part, right, baby?_

"No!" Kise's shout couldn't drown out the sound of bones snapping as Nebuya's arms jerked Aomine's head to the side.

Aomine fell to the ground in a heap, his body motionless. Lifeless.

Kise crashed to the floor halfway across the room. His knees hit so hard he was certain he may have broken a bone, but he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything besides the pain that started in his chest and spread through every inch of his body. It was cold, the kind of pain that came with something like frostbite. It was something permanent that left you crippled, useless.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, unbidden and uncontrolled. He could barely draw a breath, each one shuddered, rattled in his lungs. His body shook. His fists hit the ground and left bloodied streaks when the skin split from impact. 

_Till death do we part._

The words played over and over in his head until he screamed to drown them out. Through the haze of pain and emptiness Kise's eyes focused on a grinning face, red and yellow eyes gleaming in the wake of his victory.

The shift was instantaneous. The cold, sharp pain of loss was replaced with a rage so fierce, so hot Kise felt like he was boiling from the inside. He felt as though his skin would felt off his bones. He glanced at Aomine's crumpled form, remembered the way he had struggled before, the strength he had, the life he exuded.

Extinguished.

All because Akashi had to emerge victorious. All because Akashi has to win his _game_.

 _It's not over yet._ Aomine's voice echoed in his head, words he'd heard so many times in so many different situations. He could see Aomine's cheeky grin, hear his deep, throaty laugh. 

"It's not over yet," Kise rasped, slowly pulling himself to his feet. 

Akashi fell silent and it was only then that Kise realized he had been laughing. 

"What did you say?" 

Kise slowly lifted his head, meeting Akashi's eyes. "It's not..." He bared his teeth in a growl. "Over yet."

"Oh, but it is," Akashi grinned, his voice bordering on maniacal once again. "Daiki is dead. I win."

Kise swayed from side to side, blocking out everything that ran through his mind. He gave Aomine one last glance, silently promising that he'd see him again soon.

_You go, I go._

Kise threw himself forward at a speed that left Akashi's eyes wide and very near frightened.

" _Akashi!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have made it this far... Thank you. When I say this is the home stretch, I mean it quite literally. This is literally me rounding third and I'm already halfway to home. There are two chapters left and I hope you all stick around until the very last word of the last chapter. It means so much to me that you welcomed this fic (which has really been my fat little baby here) with open arms. It's your continued encouragement that's gotten me this far with this and I can never thank you all enough for your kind words and ceaseless excitement that only makes me more and more excited for the end. 
> 
> Many, many thanks!
> 
> -V


	24. If It Has to End, I'll Go Down Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise's rage and pain drives him to bring out strengths and speeds he's never been able to tap into before. Even Akashi, with all his skills and smarts up his sleeve, has trouble trying to push Kise back. He can do nothing but defend himself, but will that be enough to keep Kise at bay? Kise has become a living weapon. Only he can bring this chapter to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your patience has meant the world to me. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Literal home stretch here.

“AKASHI!”

Aomine groaned internally. As he shifted slightly, he felt a pain lance up his arm and knew his wrist had been sprained from the fall. But better a sprained wrist than death.

When he shifted again, he got a swift kick to his side and it took all his self control not to retaliate. He cracked his eyes open, his gaze landing first on the scowl that Nebuya wore as he knelt next to Aomine’s body and then on Kise’s back as he threw himself toward a grinning Akashi.

Kise’s speed was astounding. Akashi barely had time to dive out of the way before Kise’s fist sank into the wall above the fireplace, Aomine’s gun falling from his grasp and sliding to the other end of the room. A cracking sound drew his attention to the fact that the fireplace was made of brick and as Kise’s bloody fist came away, he could see the way the brick crumbled and splintered from the impact. Aomine’s eyes widened. He didn’t remember Kise having that kind of strength.

“This is good.”

Nebuya’s voice startled him, pulling his attention away from the fight. He didn’t respond, but gave Nebuya a look that urged him to continue.

“You heard what I said before I pretended to snap your neck?” He cradled his left arm against his chest and Aomine realized the snap he’d heard had been Nebuya breaking his own arm to put his plan into motion.

Aomine gave the barest of nods. Of course he had heard him. _Kise is the only one who can stop Akashi and the only way to draw out the strength we need from him is to “kill” you. Understand?_. He still wasn’t sure how he understood what Nebuya meant when he said he had to die. He still didn’t know why he went along with it. He didn’t know Nebuya, didn’t trust him, but he trusted the desire to eliminate Akashi. He trusted it because it was a desire they shared.

He also knew that Kise had untapped potential, but never knew how to draw it out. Until now.

Kise was a machine. He didn’t hesitate. Every movement was fluid, but purposeful. He moved with Aomine’s speed, had Nebuya’s strength, Imayoshi’s ruthlessness. Aomine watched as a knife sprang from a sheath well concealed within the lining of Kise’s shirtsleeve right into his waiting hand. He wasn’t looking at Akashi when he flung the knife at him, which led Aomine to believe he’d adopted Takao’s impressive sight range as well. Akashi managed to dodge the thrown knife, but Kise was on him seconds later using another knife in close combat as skillfully as Kasamatsu did.

Akashi kept up, to his credit, meeting blow after blow with his own blade that Aomine hadn’t seen him procure. But as their battle continued, he could see that Kise’s strength gave him the upper hand. Kise flipped the knife in his grasp and slammed the hilt of the blade into Akashi’s unprotected stomach. The blow winded Akashi, knocking him off his feet.

When he landed, a gun broke free of a holster situated on his back and Kise launched himself over Akashi’s sprawled body. He skidded to a halt, picking up the gun as he slid past and aimed with a form so well-practiced Aomine could swear he was looking at a mirror image of himself.

“Perfect copy,” Nebuya muttered as Kise took a shot.

The bullet just barely missed Akashi as he dove to the side, faster than Aomine would’ve given him credit for, especially in pain. Kise fired off a few more rounds, managing to graze Akashi’s calf with one until the magazine clicked empty.

“Akashi mentioned it before,”. Nebuya continued. Aomine stole a glance in his direction to see him following Kise as he moved across the room. “Kise’s "uncanny ability to imitate exactly what he sees” could be used on a much larger, stronger scale. At least that's what Akashi believed.“

Out of the corner of his eye, Aomine glimpsed the flash of another blade in Kise’s hand as he dove at Akashi. The blade tore through the floor, wood splintering from the impact as Akashi threw himself out of the way of the blow.

"He wanted to turn Kise into a human weapon, but he knew he wouldn’t do it without the right incentive.” Nebuya finally met Aomine’s gaze and his expression softened, a mournful smile crossing his lips. “Devastation is the incentive Akashi said would work best. Your death was his best chance at getting the weapon he wanted.”

Aomine grit his teeth. His eyes narrowed.

“But it worked in our favor,” Nebuya explained. “Because now his intended weapon has turned against him.”

“Ryouta.”

Akashi’s voice drew Aomine's attention back to the fight.

“You don’t see it now,” Akashi continued, pulling another blade out to protect himself as Kise stalked around him like a predator. “Too blinded by your pain… But you will see reason.”

Kise threw himself forward, the sound of metal grinding on metal echoed through the room.

“Your strength is astounding.” Akashi’s voice rose, his excitement evident even as Kise pushed him back. “Your speed… You move even faster than I do.”

Kise bounced back, flipping the hilt in his hand to drive the knife in a downward arc toward Akashi who danced past the swing.

“Your instincts are almost primal, Ryouta.”

“Don’t call me that!” Kise snarled, flicking the knife at Akashi’s face. The blade skimmed the surface of Akashi’s cheek, leaving a thin line of red beneath his left eye, accentuating the difference in color.

“Listen to reason, Ryouta,” Akashi continued, lifting his arms to block a punch.

The impact against Akashi’s wrist caused him to drop his own knife and Kise slammed his heel on the hilt, flipping it into the air. He dipped, dodging a return swing from Akashi and caught the knife, flinging his arm forward like a whip. Akashi didn’t have the chance to step out of range.

The blade ripped through Akashi’s forearm, but he had enough sense to use his uninjured arm to smack the knife out of Kise’s grasp. It slid across the floor, far out of reach. But that didn’t stop Kise.

He used his fists instead, throwing punch after punch. Akashi could do little more than block the barrage coming at him. Kise’s knuckles came away stained after every blow as Akashi’s arm bled freely from the open wound.

“I’m glad Akashi was right,” Nebuya muttered after a beat of silence. He reached down to grab under one of his arms. Aomine grit his teeth, pain humming down his arm as Nebuya dragged him across the room, further away from the battle taking place around them. “If he had been wrong, all this would’ve been for nothing.”

Aomine’s eyes widened. “What the fuck?” He hissed, once he believed they were out of range for Kise or Akashi to pick up the sound of his voice.

Nebuya raised a brow. “I had to move you. If I didn’t do something it would look too suspicious and–”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Aomine snarled, his mind reeling. This had all this been a set up? Not by Akashi, but by his teammates? Were they always just a piece in someone else’s game?

A grunt of pain drew their attention away from one another before Nebuya could respond. Akashi laid on his back on the floor, his arms raised to keep his face safe as Kise continued to pommel him with punch after punch. His fists hit the ground so hard Aomine could feel the impact even from across the room.

“He’s gonna end it…” Nebuya whispered, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Aomine scowled. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from Kise, couldn’t fathom how he would end it when Akashi had meant something to them at one point. Akashi had been a friend, practically family.

Then again, Aomine was Kise’s husband and he seemed to have no problem shooting entire magazines of bullets at him.

“When this is over,” Aomine whispered, not daring to pull his eyes away from the fight. “I want you to tell us everything.”

“Mm…” Nebuya replied.

“Everything,” Aomine stressed again, watching as Kise slammed his hands against Akashi’s, pinning him to the floor.

“Everything…” Nebuya agreed, silence spreading throughout the room like the plague.

It was broken only by Kise’s pants, by Akashi’s gasps.

“Do you think you’ve won, Ryouta?”

Kise growled in response, more animalistic than human.

“Do you think because you have me pinned, because you’re _above me_ right now that you’ve won?”

Even from a distance Aomine could see the grin spreading across Akashi’s face. He didn’t like that grin. It said Akashi knew things that they didn’t know and Aomine wasn’t ready to have someone move his piece in this twisted game for him again. He wanted to make his own moves.

He shifted his body, earning him a glare from Nebuya.

He matched the glare with one of his own. He was sick of being a bystander when he could help Kise end this. His hands were still bound behind his back and he shifted again to indicate his discomfort and his desire to be freed.

Nebuya’s brows furrowed further and just as he started to shake his head a resounding crack echoed throughout the room and a sound close to a whimper came from Akashi’s lips. The sound drew both of their attention to the pair, seeing Kise pull his arm away from Akashi’s right wrist to dip his hand into the waist of his slacks.

Aomine’s eyes widened when he saw the gun Kise pulled out. He didn’t have to be close enough to see the engraving on the side. He would know that gun anywhere.

But he couldn’t remember seeing Kise grab it off the ground. He glanced toward the corner of the room where he remembered seeing it last. Grooves that opened to wounds of splintered wood in the ground clued him in. The knife Kise had dug through the floor had been nothing but a cover, nothing but a distraction to divert Akashi’s attention from him retrieving the one weapon he could end it with.

Akashi’s eyes widened. “That gun…” He rasped, staring at the barrel pointed straight at his face. “Where did you–”

“Did you think you’d won, Akashicchi?” Kise’s voice was barely more than a whisper, more menacing than anything Aomine could ever remember hearing from him.

Akashi’s face paled and, though he was far away, Aomine could see something flash in his eyes. Aomine’s stomach clenched uncomfortably, warning him.

“Kise…” Akashi’s voice was softer, gentler. The way he addressed Kise made Aomine jerk forward, much to Nebuya’s annoyance. “Kise… You have to end this.”

He could see Kise’s eyes blow wide. Akashi hadn’t addressed him by his family name since they were younger. That Akashi was a different man.

“You have to pull that trigger,” Akashi whispered, his hand pinned by the weight of Kise’s hand curling into a fist in his determination. Aomine knew that should be signal enough, but Kise was blinded by pain, by rage. “You don’t know what I’ve done… What I can do. You must understand that this isn’t me, Kise. You know me. I’m strict, but am I ruthless?”

Kise drew in a shuddering breath, the sound making Aomine jerk forward again. Nebuya put a hand on his side, squeezing in warning.

Aomine whipped his head back toward Nebuya. “Untie me,” he snarled. “You need to untie me.”

Nebuya shook his head. “I can’t. That’s not part of the–”

“It’s a trap,” Aomine hissed. “That side of Akashi… You never knew him. You couldn’t have. The bastard is using that side of himself to stop Kise. Do you want your plan to blow up in your goddamn face?”

Nebuya stared across the room, watching as Kise shook his head. Kise hesitated. His finger slipped off the trigger and his blind, furious resolution to eliminate Akashi had been dampened the by the shock of Akashi’s shift in personality. Even Nebuya could see that.

With a deep frown, Nebuya reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. “If you’re wrong…” Nebuya sighed. “If you’re wrong, then we all die.” He glanced across the room and shook his head. “Lucky Murasakibara got out before the shit hit the fan.”

Aomine hadn’t noticed when Murasakibara disappeared and right then he didn’t care. As soon as he felt the knife slice through the binds that kept his wrists together he shoved himself to his feet and stomped across the room.

No more pretending, he told himself. If this was going to end, he'd go down fighting at Kise's side.

* * *

 

Kise shuddered. The rage that boiled within him, that blacked out the world around him, tempered down to a dull roar when Akashi’s eyes shifted from their unnatural dual colors to simply red. He could see all the pain written on Akashi’s face, all the regret. The malice and the desire to win all but disappeared the moment he changed the way he addressed Kise, so much like the old Akashi that Kise had grown up with.

Akashi had been like a brother Kise never had, living just down the street and saving him from the torments of his sisters dress-up sessions and their dolls. Akashi had turned him on to basketball. Akashi had further encouraged his modeling. Akashi had been the family he needed when he had no one else, when he had to keep his family at a distance to save them from the consequences of the other profession he chose. Akashi had been the one to introduce him to Aomine.

As painful as it was to point a gun at him before, the Akashi who ordered Aomine’s death was not the same Akashi that stared back at him now. That Akashi hadn’t lived down the block, hadn’t saved him, hadn’t been like family. Akashi Seijurou had been many things–brilliant, ruthless, determined–but he’d never been heartless. Until recently.

It was the fact that Kise could differentiate that made Akashi an easy target. But with a familiar face staring up at him, with the change in address that brought with it the flood of so many memories, Kise hesitated as he never had before.

Perhaps it was the loss of Aomine that made him reluctant to lose another who held a place so close to his heart, that made him reluctant to lose more family when he had to little left to begin with. He didn’t pull away though, the gun still resolutely aimed at Akashi’s face. His finger still hovered over the trigger. There was no way he could ignore the alarm bells going off in his head, but he also couldn’t ignore the “what ifs”.

What if this was the real Akashi? What if there was a side of him he couldn’t control, one that held him in check in the worst way despite his best efforts to fight it? What if he could be saved as Aomine couldn’t be?

“You know me, Kise,” Akashi repeated, his eyes pleading. He still tried to rationalize the situation as Akashi always had. “I would never hurt you. I might push you, encourage you in harsh ways to be better… But I would never, never hurt you this way.”

Kise swallowed around the lump that formed in his throat. His hand shook, the gun wavering in his grasp. He squeezed Akashi’s wrist and shook his head. “You… You killed him.”

A look of deep regret passed across Akashi’s face. “I couldn’t stop it,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut as if he were reliving some traumatic memory. “I didn’t want to, Kise.”

“But you did.”

Kise closed his eyes, keeping a firm grip on Akashi. He tried to imagine Aomine’s warmth, the thought alone conjuring his heat against his back. He could almost hear that deep drawl against his ear telling him, “He’s lying to you.”

Kise’s eyes flew open and he stared down at Akashi who’s eyes were blown wide. “I would never….” Akashi drew a sharp breath and continued, despite the look of shock that spread across his face. “I know what Daiki meant to you. What he–”

Kise blinked down at him. _Daiki_. “You just–”

“He’s a liar,” Aomine’s voice hummed against his ear. He glanced down to see Aomine’s hand closing over his own, tightening Kise’s grip on the firearm.

He knew he was hallucinating. He might’ve been hit in the head one too many times, but he didn’t care. It was the best hallucination he would have and he would hold on to it until the very end. Besides, Aomine always did have the best gut instincts between the two of them.

“Use me as an anchor.” He felt the brush of warm breath against his ear as he stared down at Akashi.

“How–” Akashi gasped his carefully crafted facade crumbling. He squeezed his eyes shut again and shook his head. “It’s impossible.” When he opened his eyes the brilliant yellow bled back in, erasing all doubts in Kise’s mind. The Akashi he knew was gone. This was the real Akashi now.

“Akashicchi,” Kise breathed. “You lost.”

“Impossible!” Akashi’s voice rose and he thrashed beneath Kise’s weight. He tried to lift his free arm, to bat the firearm out of Kise’s grasp but a foot came out of nowhere, pinning him down. Kise didn’t question it, didn’t care who it belonged to as long as he got his revenge. “I made all the right moves!” Akashi’s snarled, his face contorted with uncontrolled rage.

“You made one mistake, Akashicchi,” Kise leaned forward a fraction of an inch. Akashi’s eyes widened. “We weren’t your pieces to play.” And he pulled the trigger. He loosed every round until the gun clicked empty and he rasped out one final word, “Checkmate.”

He couldn’t look at the mess he’d made, at the man he’d thoroughly destroyed. The thought alone curdled his stomach, made his legs weak. But when he collapsed, he didn’t hit the ground. His shoulder fell into a taut, strong chest. Arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a lap he’d taken comfort in more times than he could count. The gentle kisses against his hair, the soft whispers in that deep, throaty drawl telling him everything would be okay made his eyes go wide. He felt his heart skip a beat or two, his hands clenching in the fabric of a shirt he knew he'd picked out.

When he finally looked up, Aomine’s eyes softened. Kise stared, mouth hanging open, his breath caught in his throat. It hadn’t been a hallucination.

This was real.

“Hey, baby,” Aomine breathed. “We did it.”

“Y-you’re…” Kise couldn’t force any more words past his lips before he buried his face in the crook of Aomine’s shoulder and let himself cry. It had been years since he’d given in to this kind of burn, to the one that tightened his chest and made it nearly impossible to the breathe. To the one that made it feel like his eyes would melt out of their sockets, that made his throat sore, his nose run. And it was such a relief to give in.

Aomine held him through it all, let him cry on his shoulder until his shirt was soaked through. When he was finally able to draw breath without hiccuping he pulled away and grabbed Aomine’s face between his hands, studying him, making sure he was real. He traced his thumb beneath his eyes, over his cheeks. Aomine’s lips twitched and he pulled him forward, stealing a kiss, hoping to breath more life into him.

“Salty,” Aomine grumbled as he pulled back.

Kise braced his hands against Aomine’s chest and shoved. “You asshole… You let me believe you were dead.”

“I had to–”

“You let me lose control like that! Do you know what was going on in my head? Do you know how dark it is there? Do you–”

Aomine grabbed his face, brushing a thumb over Kise’s lips to silence him. “I do,” he growled in response. “I do know. It wasn’t easy to do it to you, Ryouta.” Aomine glanced behind him for a fraction of a second, taking in the mess they made, before turning back. “But we did it.” He paused and slid his hands down to Kise’s shoulders. “You did it.”

Kise took a deep breath, shaking his head in response. “I don’t remember much of it. It wasn’t me, Daiki. It wasn’t–”

“But it was.” Aomine grinned. “Fuck, Ryouta, I still have goosebumps from the shit you pulled. I’d love to spar with you when you go batshit crazy like that.”

Kise scowled and pushed himself back. “You’re an idiot,” he muttered, shakily pushing himself to his feet. Aomine moved with him, hovering at his side to make sure he didn’t fall again. The thought alone made Kise want to smile. After all they’d been through, Aomine was still the solid foundation he had always been to him.

“Oi,” Aomine dipped around Kise, addressing the other man in the room. Kise followed Aomine’s gaze to where Nebuya crouched, his eyes wide, staring at Akashi’s lifeless body. “You’ve got some explaining to do. Don’t you dare back out on that promise.”

Nebuya slowly pulled his gaze away from Akashi, finally settling on Kise and Aomine. He stared at them, too dazed to respond. Kise could feel Aomine’s impatience in the way he leaned forward, the way his hand came up to squeeze at Kise’s shoulder.

“Nebuya,” Aomine growled. “You told me you–”

“Daiki, wait.” Kise shook his head. “Give him a minute. Akashicchi was–”

“Nothing,” Nebuya finished for him, his deep voice soft, contemplative. “He was nothing to me.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and kneading the skin between his brows with his thumb and forefinger. “Just– gimme a minute. I need to–” He dropped his hand to his waist and Aomine and Kise immediately tensed before they saw him pull out a communication device.

“Hey,” Nebuya grumbled as he flicked the switch at the top. “It’s over.” The sound of static was all he received in response, but he appeared content with his message and dropped the device to the floor. When he glanced up his eyes flickered toward Akashi’s body once again. “I can’t believe it actually worked.”

Kise blinked, casting a questioning glance at Aomine.

Aomine pointed accusingly at Nebuya. “Ask him. I don’t know what the hell went on either.”

“You planned this?” Kise finally asked taking a few tentative steps toward Nebuya.

“Technically Akashi did.” Nebuya collapsed against the floor, letting his back find the wall behind him.

Kise bristled. Aomine put a hand on his shoulder, presumably to calm him, but Kise could feel the tension running through him as well.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Nebuya added, waving off their suspicion with the hand he wasn’t cradling against his chest. “We had good intentions even if he didn’t. We kinda just piggybacked off what he had planned and it somehow worked.”

“Akashicchi… Planned this?” Kise gestured around the room. “This meeting?” He paused staring at Nebuya’s obviously broken arm. “How did you break your arm? You just–” The realization dawned on him halfway through the sentence and he turned toward Aomine for confirmation.

Aomine shrugged. “The crazy bastard broke his own arm so you’d hear the snap and believe I was dead. Pretty genius of him. Crazy shit, but genius.”

Kise gaped at Nebuya. “So then you–”

“Look,” Nebuya shook his head, dismissing Kise’s concern. “I kept him alive. I’m not very good at explaining this. I’m not the brains of the operation. I’m just told what to do. It was actually Takao and Hayama who decided to run with Akashi’s plan and make it their own.”

“Takaocchi?” Kise’s jaw dropped and he glanced at Aomine.

Aomine’s eyes widened as he stepped forward to crouch beside Nebuya. “So that whole time, that bastard was leading us into this trap?”

“I wouldn’t call it a trap, per say. Even I couldn’t make a game of pretending to kill you, Aomine.”

Kise's head whipped toward the doorway. Takao stepped into the room with a sheepish grin spread across his face. Hayama held the door open for a limping, but still very much alive, Midorima.

“Well, shit.” Aomine gaped at Midorima.

Midorima scowled and Kise took the familiar grumpy expression as a sign that he was alright. The last thing he remembered was the image of Midorima, bound and gagged, bloodied to the point of making him wonder if he would survive. Unless…

“Was that all a part of the plan too?” Kise ventured, his mind reeling at the possibility that Midorima would agree to any such terms.

Takao grimaced. “Shin-chan…” He glanced back at Midorima who turned his sour expression into softer one that encouraged Takao to continue. “He wasn’t supposed to be involved. That was Sei-chan’s doing.” He shifted uncomfortably until Midorima reached out a shaky arm to rub his hand over Takao’s shoulder. “Guess he sorta assumed I’d betray him. He always was a bit smarter than me.”

“Great,” Aomine interrupted, startling everyone. “Sorry you had to get involved, Midorima, but I wanna know why the fuck you led us to our deaths.”

“Unless you’ve lost more brain cells since I last saw you, Aomine, you should be able to tell that your heart is still beating. You’re clearly still alive, ‘nodayo.” Midorima slid his glasses up his nose, frowning at Aomine.

“Daiki.” Kise chided with a scowl. “Don’t be an ass.”

“Ryouta, I don’t really give a shit right now.” Aomine turned back toward Nebuya and by the exasperated way Nebuya scowled back, Kise could only imagine the glare he was leveling at him. “You told me you’d explain all this. If anything had gone wrong, we’d all be dead.”

“But we’re not,” Kise reassured him. “Daiki, I don’t care about the why anymore. You’re not dead.” He moved to crouch beside Aomine. “And I’m alive too.”

Aomine snatched Kise’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I wanna make sure there’s no one else. Akashi was one of many bad guys on the never ending hit lists. You should know that.”

Kise frowned. As the adrenaline rush started to die down he realized it had never occurred to him that there could be someone else pulling the strings, a never ending hierarchy that Akashi only believed he was the top of.

“There’s no one,” Nebuya countered. “The coaches followed Akashi’s word. Before that, they followed Akashi’s father.”

“How the fuck do we know he’s actually dead?” Aomine snapped. “I don’t trust you any more than I trusted Akashi. At least I knew the bastard before all this.”

“I saw him do it,” Nebuya replied. “I was there when he killed him.”

Aomine’s mouth twitched and just as he was about to say more, Takao interrupted, drawing their attention back toward him. “You want an explanation, here it is. Sei-chan believed that once you two knew about your shared profession that you’d team up and find out about his involvement. He assumed you’d come straight for him.”

Aomine scowled, but Kise’s squeezed his hand and said, “He wasn’t wrong.”

“If you took out all the coaches, like you were planning on doing, then you’d obviously start to wonder if there was anyone else. Neither one of you is stupid. Sei-chan wasn’t going to let that happen. So when you failed to take one another out, he lured you here and even though he didn’t want to lose both of his star players, he knew he had no choice. He told us about all of this because we were his pawns to lead you straight to him.”

“He put a lot of stock in that bastard Haizaki,” Nebuya added, his hand clenching into a fist.

“But Shou-chan failed and Akashi still needed Aomine to die. He was convinced that Kise had abilities that could make him unstoppable, a human weapon. And Aomine was… Well, you were basically holding he back.”

Aomine scoffed next to him. Kise gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“We banked on his belief that you had this untapped power, Ryou-chan. You didn’t fail us.”

Kise shook his head, still unable to process what had gone on when he turned on Akashi. He vaguely remembered feeling faster, stronger than he ever had before, but he chalked it all up to the adrenaline fueled by grief and anger. Even now he wasn't sure if it was something he could ever tap into again.

“Akashicchi isn’t stupid either,” Kise began, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. “How could he just assume that I would be able to do that again?”

“Your little perfect copy trick?” Nebuya asked, his eyes still occasionally flickering toward Akashi’s body as though he were afraid he'd come back to life.

“Perfect copy?”

“That’s what Sei-chan liked to call it.” Takao shrugged. “It made sense with the freakish way you could imitate people. He said if you were pushed enough you could tap into 100% of everyone’s potential.”

“But I–” Kise shook his head, his mind racing. He’d always been a fast study, but something as outrageous as perfectly copying everyone he came into contact with just seemed impossible. “There’s no guarantee I could do it again.”

“Well, no,” Takao admitted with crooked smile. “But we only needed you to do it once. And…” He gestured toward what remained of Akashi. “You did.”

“So everyone was in on this?” Kise asked, glancing at every face for a sign of denial. “Everyone except Daiki…” He paused, cycling through their encounters as they fought their way to Akashi. “Shougo… He wasn’t involved.”

Nebuya shook his head. “Haizaki was a liability to everyone. We couldn’t trust him to do what we needed. He only followed Akashi.”

Kise nodded. Haizaki would’ve followed Akashi regardless. He’d always choose the path that let him leave a mass of destruction in his wake. “And what about the other guy… Reo?” The thought of that man curdled his stomach, made him think of Kasamatsu and the state they'd left him in.

Nebuya grimaced.

“Reo-nee just… does whatever he wants,” Hayama cut in, his lips spreading into an apologetic grin. “We couldn’t include him. He’s not interested in saving all of us. He’s only interested in the "prizes” he can win.“

Kise blanched. "But then…” He turned to Aomine who grit his teeth in response.

“We left Kasamatsu with him,” Aomine growled. “You’re telling me that piece of shit could’ve…”

“There’s no way.” Kise shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Senpai is too skilled. He can’t be–”

“Dead?”

Kise jumped, his head whipping around to stare at the open door. Kasamatsu limped in, his arm around the waist of someone Kise had been made to believe was no longer with them.

“Imayoshi?” Aomine’s voice rose, incredulous. “How the fuck–”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” Imayoshi replied, wincing as Kasamatsu lowered him to the ground and situated him with his back propped up against the wall. “Doesn’t hurt to have someone like Yukio-chan on your team either.” He reached out, brushing his fingers along the back of Kasamatsu’s hand.

Kasamatsu jerked his arm back with a scowl. “Should’ve left you for dead,” he growled. “And don’t call me that.”

Imayoshi chuckled, a hand going to his side as his face screwed up in pain.

“How the fuck,” Aomine began again, clearly still she’ll shocked. “Are you still living? He said you were–”

“I thought he was,” Kasamatsu interrupted. “He didn’t move and the shot looked like it hit its mark.” He shrugged, limping across the room, stopping in front of Kise. He took in his equally battered appearance, reaching down to place a hand on his shoulder. Kise lifted a hand and placed it over Kasamatsu’s when he felt a gentle squeeze. It was the only acknowledgment he’d receive to know that Kasamatsu was glad he lived through this, but it was all he needed. “Guess he really is tough to kill. Doesn’t hurt to know that Reo bastard isn’t the best shot.”

“So you…” Kise put the pieces together as Kasamatsu pulled away from the physical contact. “Then this… We all came out of this mess alive?”

“As far as I know, the rest of the team is good.” Kasamatsu glanced at Aomine and added, “Wakamatsu and Sakurai are fine. Sakurai is a little worse for wear. Gotta get him to a hospital, but if he’s as strong as he seems, he’ll be fine.”

Kise released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. For the second time that evening, he collapsed against Aomine’s side. He allowed himself to relax, to rely on the strength of someone else instead of depending on himself alone, instead trusting only himself alone. He felt Aomine sigh against him and knew that he was giving himself the chance to do the same. They'd leaned on each other before and though circumstances and time had changed the dynamic of their relationship, it hadn't changed the fact that they needed one another, now more than ever. 

“So there’s no one else, right?” Aomine asked once again, seeking clarification that Kise knew he should’ve be probing for himself.

“There’s no one else,” Nebuya confirmed.

“Can’t promise we won’t have other enemies pop up along the way though,” Takao added. "Occupational hazard." Kise let his gaze flicker toward him, watching as he slid an arm around Midorima’s waist and pressed his cheek against his shoulder. “But that’ll be for another day. If it ever comes.”

“I do not want you partaking in this business any longer, Kazunari.” Midorima’s statement resonated with all of them.

Though Kise saw the scowl of disapproval on Kasamatsu’s face, he knew he’d been entertaining the same idea. Imayoshi was another story that he wasn’t going to dwell on. He glanced up at Aomine, meeting his inquisitive stare with a grin.

“Guess this means we gotta retire and live in that boring neighborhood with all those boring neighbors, huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aomine replied with a tired grin. “Last I checked, someone blew up our house. We gotta move, Ryouta.”

Kise laughed as everything came flooding back to him. “How disappointing,” He shook his head and grinned. “I just had that kitchen redone.”

“And you’re the one who blew it up.”

“That was you!”

“It was definitely you, Ryouta. You shot the damn bullet that blew it up.”

Kise rolled his eyes. “You turned the gas stove on. It’s your fault.” He laced their fingers together. “You owe me a new kitchen, Daiki.”

“You owe me a new car.”

“Guess we both gotta deliver then,” Kise conceded, threading their fingers together. He caught a glimpse of Aomine’s wedding ring, still firmly on his ring finger. It brought a smile to his face. They might have more enemies, they might face more perils, more trouble ahead. Only the future would tell. But at least they would always have this, always have the link between them that made them such a perfect team.

They’d always have each other to start the fire within them, and no obstacle thrown at them would put it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to thank anyone and everyone who has read this fic up until now and has waited patiently for me to finish this chapter. I am so sorry about the amount of time it’s taken me to write this. Real life kicked me hard in the ass and I feel so bad that I left you all hanging for so long. But the constant encouragement and continued comments, even though it had been ages since I posted anything, helped to build up my motivation. I can’t thank you all enough. I hope this lives up to your expectations. One more chapter to go! And just so people know, the last chapter is going to be almost identical to the first, strictly dialogue. This is more the actual ending, where the final chapter itself is more the epilogue. Hope you enjoyed!


	25. We Lit the Match Ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine and Kise have been together for five years (or is it six now?) and they've learned where their problems stemmed from. It might've been a rough ride to get where they are now, but they (somewhat reluctantly) will admit that they needed the trauma to bring them closer together, to give them a happy ending that they so desperately deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is here! I hope you all enjoyed the fic and that you enjoy the final installment to this Mr. and Mrs. Smith AU. 
> 
> A special thank you to [inkandwords](http://archiveofourown.org/users/inkandwords) who encouraged me to turn a small ask ficlet into this behemoth and never once made me feel like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, despite the ridiculously long stretches between some chapters. I never thought I could reach a word count like this. Thank you for your support and for letting me scream plot details at you and for proof reading through a good chunk of the chapters. It means a lot.

“So when you’ve been together for five years–”

“Six years, Daiki.”

“Six?”

“Are you kidding me? We just had our anniversary dinner a week ago.”

“Oh yeah. I remember.”

“Don’t grin like that.”

“I remember after dinner pretty damn well too. When you went down on–”

“Daiki!”

“What? He asked that question before.”

“He didn’t ask it now!”

“But I bet he was gonna.”

“I doubt he was gonna ask for details. It’s a simple yes or no question.”

“Then the answer is a fuck yes, we are.”

“As Daiki was saying…”

“Yeah, yeah. Moving on. Ryouta and I have been together for six years and we went through some pretty rough shit recently.”

“But I think our problem before was a lack of communication. We hid things from each other, manipulated the truth because we thought we were protecting one another.”

“Turns out Ryouta is pretty damn good at protecting himself.”

“You aren’t too bad either, Daiki.”

“I guess what we’re trying to say is that we fixed the shit on our own.”

“We didn’t really need anyone else to light a fire in us. We lit the match ourselves.”

“And we burn brighter than we ever did before.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in previous chapter notes, this final chapter is nearly identical in format to the first one. It's short and more of an epilogue than an ending. The previous chapter was really the climax and the finale. But I have to thank each and every one of you for the comments, the encouragement, the screaming, the speculation and the continued readership throughout. It had pushed me to finish a fic I never thought would get this long and I'm glad that people wanted to stick around until the very end. It's been a long ride, but I am noting but grateful for everything you guys have said that made this come to complete fruition. Thank you!


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